As we close out Women’s History Month, Pacvue is proud to celebrate and recognize the incredible women who are driving change and leading innovation in the retail media space. From founders and CEOs to product leaders and marketing visionaries, these women are making their mark by embracing bold ideas, pushing boundaries, and paving the way for future generations. In this article, we highlight their insights, leadership journeys, and advice for the next wave of talent.
Rachel Tipograph, Founder & CEO, MikMak
Can you describe a key moment in your career when you realized you earned a seat at the table, and what actions or changes in your mindset helped you solidify yourself as a leader?
Rachel: In 2016, I was at an industry event Jeff Bezos also was at. After I watched a seat open next to him briefly at his dinner table, I beelined for the table, took the seat, and spoke to him for 30 minutes. He could have easily asked me to get up but never did. Opportunity is created, not given to you – go after what you want.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Rachel: Operate emotionally in the middle. No matter what is happening in your business, if you always have a moderate reaction, your team will feel greater stability from you. It’s easy to experience the highest of highs and lowest of lows when you’re a founder, but that’s not a great experience for your team.
Ali Miller, Vice President, Ads Product, Instacart
What new approach or change in your leadership style or actions do you plan to make in 2025, and why?
Ali: This is a predictable answer, but I definitely am continuing to challenge myself to embrace all of the new possibilities that AI can bring – both to our products and to our productivity. One of the downsides of having worked in Ads for so long is that it’s easy for me to say “oh we’ve tried that before, and it didn’t work” – but we truly have a completely different set of tools at our disposal now that can make previously impossible ideas not just possible but easily possible! I’m definitely reminding myself to be open to these new possibilities, which are now changing not just by the year, but literally by the day.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Ali: As a woman in tech who did not come from a formal technical background, I had to combat pretty severe imposter syndrome early in my Product Management career. I wish I had been able to tell my younger self that I deserved to be in the room and that the value I added went far beyond what I happened to study in college. And while of course I leverage the technical depth I’ve built over time, I’ve come to see my non-traditional background as a strength vs. something to overcome!
Destaney Wishon, CEO, BTR Media
Can you describe a key moment in your career when you realized you earned a seat at the table, and what actions or changes in your mindset helped you solidify yourself as a leader?
Destaney: The first time I was invited to speak at Amazon Accelerate was a key moment in my career. The opportunity fueled my confidence, and it felt like the last 6 years of creating content and consulting for the industry had finally paid off. This momentum gave me the confidence to double down on content and education, which solidified my name as a leader in the space.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Destaney: Progress over perfection. The people who succeed are not the ones who are doing everything perfect, but rather the ones who show up every day and continue to make progress.
Sarah Hofstetter, President, Profitero
What skill has been a game changer for you in the advancement of your career?
Sarah: Candor. As I earned more seats at more tables, I leaned into my candor as a superpower, saying the things other people might have been thinking and cutting through unnecessary garbage.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Sarah: I wish my younger self realized that my bosses aren’t mind readers. Whether they thought I was great or not had absolutely nothing to do with how they were going to coach me unless I was explicit in telegraphing what mattered to me.
Claire Wyatt, GM, Client Service – Retail, The Trade Desk
Can you describe a key moment in your career when you realized you earned a seat at the table, and what actions or changes in your mindset helped you solidify yourself as a leader?
Claire: I had just started in my role at Albertsons Media Collective – I think I was day 1 on the job. I hadn’t even gotten my laptop! I joined a meeting and the whole room was looking at me asking what was going to be our measurement strategy for this new business. I looked around waiting for someone else to answer before I realized “oh my gosh – I guess I’m the one who has to decide!” It was one of the first moments I’ve had where I had to be confident in my decision with only a little information and then take accountability for the result.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Claire: That it’ll all happen when it’s supposed to. I’ve been in such a hurry to do the next thing, get the next title, the next whatever… and what I’m learning is that usually things happen at just the right time. If you focus on working hard, and being kind, everything tends to work out.
Ana Laura Zain, CMO, Pentaleap
As a leader in retail media during such a transformative year, how do you evaluate what matters most when building and guiding your team? How do you balance fostering innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity while addressing the fast-evolving demands of the industry?
Ana Laura: Clear priorities keep us focused, adaptability helps us pivot quickly, and empowerment fosters innovation and collaboration. I believe creating space for critical thinking, open dialogue, and data-driven decisions ensures we stay agile while driving real impact.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Ana Laura: I wish my younger self had known that I didn’t always need to prove myself by constantly doing more. I’ve learned that real impact comes from stepping back, asking the right questions, and focusing on what truly moves the needle.
Amy Andrews, President, Mars United Commerce
Can you describe a key moment in your career when you realized you earned a seat at the table, and what actions or changes in your mindset helped you solidify yourself as a leader?
Amy: Just last week, I had an amazing dinner with other women leaders in our industry. The group was a mix of senior leaders and rising stars. As I sat down, it took me a moment to realize that I had now risen to be a part of the leadership group. It was a great reminder to slow down and celebrate when we reach our individual milestones and to continue to bring other women to the table. We can always add another chair.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Amy: I wish I could tell my younger self how natural it is to evolve and all of the benefits that come from a nonlinear path. When I started in my career, I thought you had to have a goal and that to achieve it you would take a linear path that was generally up and to the right. My path has wound around, stopped, started and changed so many times. I used to question – or even try to hide – all those zigzags. Now, I’m proud of them because I know they made me the leader that I am today.
Laura Pattison, VP, Retail Media, Monks
As a leader in retail media during such a transformative year, how do you evaluate what matters most when building and guiding your team? How do you balance fostering innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity while addressing the fast-evolving demands of the industry?
Laura: Evaluating what matters the most starts with listening – both to the brands I work with and to the broader industry leaders. I prioritize staying close to the pain points and needs brands have while layering in the trends shaping the space. This ensures we’re not just reacting but making strategic decisions.
Fostering innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity comes more naturally in an environment where your team feels empowered to contribute. I prioritize open conversations and encourage everyone to challenge assumptions (especially my own).
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Laura: Perfection isn’t the goal – growth is. Early in my career, I put immense pressure on myself to get everything right, but I’ve learned that real growth comes from mistakes and challenging moments. The key is humility: ego kills progress, while open, honest communication fosters it. As a leader, I’ve embraced being transparent about my own missteps because it creates a culture where my team feels safe to do the same. They know when mistakes happen – and they will – it’s not about blame; it’s about adapting and moving forward together.
Kelly MacLean, VP of Amazon DSP, Amazon Ads
As a leader in retail media during such a transformative year, how do you evaluate what matters most when building and guiding your team? How do you balance fostering innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity while addressing the fast-evolving demands of the industry?
Kelly: Fostering an environment of team collaboration and inclusivity is mission critical to addressing the fast pace of our industry. Amazon Ads has built an open environment for team members to share ideas and drive ownership at all levels to ensure we are continually pushing ourselves to be truly innovative and collaboratively inventing on behalf of the customer.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Kelly: To lead in a way that is my authentic self. Everyone on a team has their own unique style, process, and strengths. It’s important for a leader to be inspired by their team and then lead in a way that is natural. It sounds basic but authenticity helps you be a more impactful and relatable leader.
Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director, Digital Shelf Institute
What new approach or change in your leadership style or actions do you plan to make in 2025, and why?
Lauren: Commerce and retail media are growth drivers for brands in 2025, but some are still struggling to communicate the importance to their leadership and get buy-in. This year I plan to focus on storytelling that explains the context behind why commerce and retail media are so important in simple and easy to understand ways.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Lauren: Someone once said to me, “Sometimes in your career you go fast and sometimes you go slow.” That really struck a chord with me and it is something I often share with people as they are thinking about their career path. Sometimes it makes sense to take the career defining job that propels you professionally, but sometimes it makes sense to take the job you know you can do because you have a personal obligation or need a change of pace.
Liz Buchanan, President North America, NielsenIQ
Can you describe a key moment in your career when you realized you earned a seat at the table, and what actions or changes in your mindset helped you solidify yourself as a leader?
Liz: A few years ago, I was asked to lead the mass migration of over 8,000 NIQ customers across 85 countries to our new platform, Discover, in an 18-month window. And to dramatically streamline our product architecture to create more global continuity and eliminate technical debt at the same time. We built a new platform, launched and started to convert clients all within a 12-month window. It was ambitious (sometimes bumpy!) – and required a unique combination of commercial, technical and transformation experience.
I had spent the prior 10 years at NIQ in a series of roles that charted a rather unconventional career path: a mix of deep commercial experience, deep technical experience and transformation roles. The technical roles in particular required some risk taking. I did not have an engineering background. Was not a developer. Had to learn to speak CTO. But I knew this was where the innovation was happening in our industry. And I’d benefit from a couple years of being a fish out of water. And it did. It culminated in leading this Discover transformation at a critical time for our company – a seminal role for me and one that was really only possible because I had taken the risks to eventually earn the seat.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Liz: Say yes to the opportunities that make you uncomfortable. Most people take the job where they have 70% of the skills and need to learn the remaining 30%. I have always flipped that. The 30% of skills need to be ultra-transferable, and then I focus on very intentional development of the next most critical 20% set of skills. Beyond that, I surround myself with a team that is smarter and more talented than I am in the spaces I have a deficit. Doing this helps you build great teams and leaders in the process. The discomfort is where all the growth happens!
Kacie McKee, Head of Omni-Commerce & Digital Acceleration, Kenvue
As a leader in retail media during such a transformative year, how do you evaluate what matters most when building and guiding your team? How do you balance fostering innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity while addressing the fast-evolving demands of the industry?
Kacie: I firmly believe in the ethos of “doing what is right for you as an individual, the company, the consumer, and for growth.” While it can be challenging to uphold this principle, using it as a guiding framework brings clarity to priorities. It highlights the role of innovation and places collaboration and inclusivity at the heart of every decision. By embracing this approach, my teams lean into a growth-first mindset, feeling proud of both what they deliver and how they deliver it.
What’s something you’ve learned from your professional journey that you wish your younger self had known?
Kacie: When we focus on continuous growth and embrace the journey of acquiring new knowledge, we not only enhance our professional capabilities but also open more doors to career possibilities. Let’s celebrate the value of curiosity and adaptability as we navigate our career paths.
Conclusion
These incredible women are not only leading their companies to new heights, but they are also paving the way for others to follow. Their insights and experiences provide valuable lessons for all of us, whether we are just beginning our careers or looking to take our leadership to the next level.
Pacvue is proud to celebrate their achievements and amplify their voices. We hope their stories inspire you as much as they have inspired us.
