Adlook reshapes UK & EMEA leadership to drive growth

Adlook has made two senior leadership changes in its UK and wider EMEA organisation, appointing Darren Thompson as Vice President of Sales, UK, and promoting Jacek Celiński to Regional VP Growth, EMEA.

The moves follow a period of expansion across the region and are intended to strengthen Adlook's commercial structure in the UK while aligning growth activity across EMEA under a single leadership framework.

Thompson will lead commercial operations in the UK, including market expansion, work with agency groups and direct brand relationships, and management of the local sales team.

He has more than 25 years of experience in digital media and adtech, with senior roles at Spotify, Teads and Undertone. Most recently, he was Growth Director at Stink Studios and Film, where he worked on go-to-market structures and executive-level partnerships.

UK focus

Adlook positions the UK as a core market within its European footprint. It operates in a competitive environment where advertisers have been shifting budgets across open web inventory and connected TV, while raising expectations around measurement and media quality.

The company sells a media buying platform for programmatic advertising on the open internet and connected TV, marketed around artificial intelligence and contextual methods. It also references supply path optimisation as part of its product structure.

In that context, the UK sales lead role sits at the centre of agency engagement, commercial negotiations and local team-building. The appointment also reflects a wider adtech trend of hiring senior leaders with experience across publishing, platforms and creative services.

Luca Filardo, Adlook's Chief Revenue Officer, said the appointments supported the company's growth plan and regional leadership structure.

"I am thrilled to welcome Darren Thompson to our leadership team as VP Sales, UK. His appointment is a significant step, and he will be crucial in leading and accelerating our commercial efforts in the UK market. Additionally, I am delighted to announce the promotion of Jacek Celiński to Regional VP Growth, EMEA. Jacek's proven leadership and dedication will be vital in driving our expansion and growth across the entire EMEA region. These key appointments of Darren and Jacek are pivotal to realising our ambitious growth strategy. We are at a crucial juncture in our mission to empower marketers to better navigate the open web and achieve superior business outcomes across the funnel. Their combined leadership will be the driving force behind this next phase of growth."

EMEA structure

Celiński's promotion creates a dedicated role for EMEA growth. Adlook said the change is part of a broader leadership structure across the region, tied to its plans for market development in multiple countries, including the UK.

Celiński said Thompson's appointment would strengthen the UK business.

"Darren's appointment marks an important step in elevating our UK Core business. With a strong track record and deep industry relationships, Darren brings the leadership required to strengthen the team and drive our next phase of growth," said Celiński.

Thompson said he was joining as advertisers demanded more from their media partners.

"I'm excited to be joining Adlook at a time when the industry is demanding greater intelligence, precision, and accountability. Adlook's AI-driven approach and contextual expertise create a strong foundation for sustainable growth. I look forward to working with the team to scale our presence, deepen strategic partnerships, and build a high-performance organisation that delivers real impact for brands and agencies," he said.

Adlook describes itself as an independent media buying platform for the open internet. It operates across EMEA and the Americas with more than 200 experts and 400 engineers, and is part of a global adtech group working with 7,000 advertisers in more than 100 markets.

Adlook said it will focus on building its UK sales organisation alongside a unified growth structure across EMEA as brands seek "greater intelligence, precision, and accountability" across the open web and connected TV.