Sheila Colclasure

Sheila Colclasure is one of AdTech's most prominent advocates for responsible data use, privacy-by-design, and ethical digital transformation. At GroupM, the world's largest media investment company, she leads the charge on programmatic innovation, data strategy, and emerging technologies — helping brands and agencies navigate a rapidly shifting landscape defined by signal loss, identity fragmentation, and regulatory complexity. Colclasure built her reputation as a standards-setter long before joining GroupM, most notably through her influential tenure at Acxiom and IPG's Kinesso, where she served as Global Chief Data Ethics and Activation Officer. In that role, she became a recognized authority on data governance, consumer trust, and the operationalization of privacy principles within large-scale marketing organizations. Her work helped establish frameworks that balanced commercial data utility with ethical responsibility — a contribution that resonated across the industry at a time when GDPR, CCPA, and cookie deprecation were reshaping the rules of engagement. A frequent speaker at major industry events including Cannes Lions, IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, and Advertising Week, Colclasure is known for translating complex regulatory and technical challenges into actionable strategy. She has been involved in industry working groups focused on data transparency and identity solutions, and her influence extends beyond any single organization to shape how the broader AdTech ecosystem thinks about the future of data-driven marketing.

• Bachelor's Degree, University of Arkansas

• Developed and operationalized data ethics frameworks at Acxiom that became models for responsible data use across the marketing industry
• Led data strategy and ethics governance at Kinesso (IPG) during a critical period of identity signal loss and cookie deprecation
• Appointed Global Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at GroupM, overseeing digital transformation for the world's largest media investment group

• Contributed thought leadership articles on data ethics and privacy to AdExchanger, IAPP publications, and industry white papers