Criteo, the commerce media firm known for connecting retailers and brands through programmatic advertising, has just made a bold move to streamline its leadership structure. The company announced the appointment of two long-serving executives—Todd Parsons and Sherry Smith—to newly expanded roles that consolidate its product, R&D, and commercial strategy.

The aim? Faster innovation, tighter execution, and laser-sharp focus on growth in two core areas: Performance Media and Retail Media.

Todd Parsons: AI First, Full-Funnel Focus

Todd Parsons, Criteo’s Chief Product Officer since 2020, now also carries the title of President, Performance Media. That’s a significant consolidation of power, putting one of Criteo’s most experienced AI evangelists at the helm of its cross-channel, full-funnel advertising solutions.

If you’ve been watching Criteo's shift from retargeting roots to outcome-driven, multi-product advertising, you’ve likely seen Parsons' fingerprints. He’s helped lead the charge on AI-driven personalization and self-service activation, key pillars for modern marketers grappling with signal loss and fragmented journeys.

Before Criteo, Parsons held top product roles at OpenX and SocialCode and led data strategy at Acxiom. He also has startup cred—he founded Aditive (acquired by Acxiom) and BuzzLogic—making him uniquely equipped to bridge big-tech muscle with entrepreneurial urgency.

Sherry Smith: Retail Media Powerhouse

Meanwhile, Sherry Smith is stepping into the role of President, Retail Media, following her tenure as Executive Managing Director for the Americas. Smith has been instrumental in Criteo’s rise as a Retail Media leader—a space projected to hit $140 billion globally by 2026.

Smith has championed the expansion of Criteo’s retail network, brokering partnerships that fuel its monetization engine. Her prior stint as CEO of Triad Retail Media (part of GroupM) gave her front-row experience in building retailer-led ad businesses, long before “Retail Media” was a buzzword.

With retailers becoming full-fledged media platforms, Smith’s appointment underscores Criteo’s push to lead the pack—not just keep pace.

What This Means for Criteo—and the Industry

The reorganization reflects a growing industry trend: collapsing silos between product, data, and go-to-market teams to increase speed-to-value. For Criteo, it’s also a bid to defend its turf against platform giants like Amazon and Walmart, while appealing to advertisers who want measurable ROI in an era of budget scrutiny.

CEO Michael Komasinski puts it plainly: this new structure promises "greater agility, sharper accountability, and a foundation for sustained performance."

And there’s more to come. Criteo is now on the hunt for a Chief Customer Officer, a role designed to squeeze more lifetime value from existing relationships—a smart move as customer acquisition costs climb and retention becomes a competitive differentiator.

The Bottom Line

Criteo’s executive realignment isn’t just internal housekeeping. It signals the company’s doubling down on AI, self-service, and commerce media scale—areas where speed, cohesion, and leadership make or break performance.

The commerce media arms race is heating up. With Parsons and Smith steering key divisions, Criteo is putting its best players on the field to keep its edge—and perhaps stretch the gap from rivals.

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