Comcast-owned programmatic advertising platform FreeWheel has appointed Tess O'Brien as its Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand.

O'Brien has returned to Sydney to take on the new role, having spent the last eight years in FreeWheel’s New York office, most recently as Vice President of Buy Side Technology, Americas. She was instrumental in launching several product innovations, earning the title of a Business Insider “Rising Star in Adtech,” in 2023, and an Adweek “Young Influential” in 2019.

O'Brien will now oversee the company’s streaming advertising business in the ANZ market as it looks to expand its presence in the region, strengthen partnerships with media companies and advertisers and launch new products.

Before joining FreeWheel, O’Brien held various commercial and corporate strategy roles at Foxtel Media (formerly Multi Channel Network) in Australia. Her experience with global streaming platforms, programmatic, and understanding of the Australian advertising ecosystem uniquely positions her to be a leader in the Australian market.

"I’m thrilled to return to Australia, during a period of immense change in the TV industry. Data and technology are fuelling new ways to transact media and we are excited to bring our wealth of streaming expertise and market-leading technology to power new partnerships in this region. FreeWheel is the trusted platform powering the global television ecosystem because of our commitment to directly connect buyers & sellers while enabling advertising solutions that complement the premium viewer experience," said O’Brien.

SVP & CRO International, Thomas Bremond, said: "APAC is a key expansion area for us and Tess’s appointment demonstrates our continued commitment towards the region. Tess’s experience with global streaming platforms, programmatic and understanding of the Australian advertising ecosystem uniquely positions her to be a leader in the Australian market. We recognise the increasing need for global programmatic advertising solutions, and we’re delighted to support our clients and the entire premium video ecosystem in the region."

FreeWheel provides technology, data enablement, and convergent marketplaces for the advertising industry. The appointment of O’Brien marks a significant step in the company's expansion strategy in the Australasian region, as it seeks to leverage its technology and data capabilities to power new partnerships and launch new products.