Criteo brings in industry veteran Michael Komasinski as CEO amid AI fuelled transformation push

AdTech firm Criteo has appointed Michael Komasinski as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board, effective 15th February.

Komasinski will succeed Megan Clarken, who is retiring and will be stepping down both from her role as CEO and from the board.

"We ran a comprehensive search process to identify the next CEO of Criteo to ensure we have the right leader to spearhead the next phase of the company's AI fuelled transformation and vision as the world's leading commerce media platform," says Rachel Picard, Chair of Criteo's Board of Directors.

"We are thrilled that Michael is joining us to lead Criteo at this exciting time in our journey. Michael is a high calibre executive with the ideal mix of skills, including tech enabled product development expertise, hands-on experience managing brand and retailer relationships, and a proven ability to drive accelerated growth and scale globally.”

“Over the course of his career, Michael has also demonstrated a collaborative approach to management that has galvanised global organisations to lead in digital marketing and technology. We are confident that Michael will bring a valuable perspective to drive Criteo's strategy forward, further enhancing our commerce and retail media leadership, and building on our strong momentum thanks to Megan's critical contributions and the dedication of the entire team."

Komasinski brings over two decades of experience in AdTech and building brand and retail relationships globally. He currently serves as CEO of the Americas, President of Global Data & Technology, and member of the Group Executive Management team at dentsu. He joined dentsu through its acquisition of Merkle in 2016 and led both the EMEA and Americas regions before becoming Global CEO of Merkle in 2021.

"Criteo's transformation into a global commerce media powerhouse and AdTech leader has been inspiring, and I am excited and energised to serve as the company's next CEO and build on this momentum," says Komasinski.

"There are massive growth opportunities in media today with new advancements in AI and a global rise in ecommerce, which are driving hyper-personalised consumer touchpoints across more content and devices than ever before. I'm thrilled to be partnering with Criteo's talented team, who has built incredible assets in AI over the years, to deliver compelling commerce solutions for our clients and drive shareholder value."

Prior to joining dentsu, Komasinski was responsible at Merkle for overseeing a staff of more than 14,000 employees in over 50 locations throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. He previously served in leadership positions at Razorfish, Schawk Retail Marketing, The Nielsen Company, and A.T. Kearney.

He is a board member of the Ad Council and serves on the client advisory boards of Meta and Microsoft.

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.

Please email our Editor, Scott Thompson, if you have any questions or need further information: scott.thompson@retailtechinnovationhub.com

FAQs

Is there a fee to enter the awards?: No, it is free of charge.

Can I enter across multiple categories: Yes.

Do I need to complete all the sections in the entry form? No, but the more information you provide, the better chance you have of producing a successful submission.

Is there a certain timeframe for nominated projects, initiatives etc? Yes, nominated projects, initiatives etc should have been completed (or substantially completed) during the last 12 months.

Who has visibility of our completed entry form and what information will be public should we win or be shortlisted? Only our Editor, Scott Thompson, and judging panel will view submissions. The information provided in the summary section of the entry form will be made public.

Do you only accept entries from UK-based companies? No, we accept entries from all parts of the world.

What is the shortlists process? Shortlists will be announced in April 2025, then shortlisted entries will be sent to our independent judging panel who will decide upon the winners and highly commended submissions. Shortlisted companies will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July 2o25.

Do winners and highly commended companies receive post-event coverage? Yes, post-event coverage includes articles on our website and also an in-depth awards review in our printed magazine. There is also the opportunity for a company profile type piece to be published on our site and within our magazine.

When is the deadline for 2025 submissions? Friday, 23rd May 2025.

When will the 2025 winners be revealed? Winners will be announced at an event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July. This will kick off with a drinks reception, followed by a three course meal, awards ceremony, and after party featuring DJ until midnight.

Who will be judging submissions? Details of our 2025 judging panel will be announced in the near future.