Olivia McCullagh, Retail Media Lead at IAB UK joined the trade body in August 2025 from Tesco Media & Insight Platform, where she was most recently Senior Client Partner on the Mondelēz UK account. We asked what her route to retail media was.
What is your role and what does it entail?
I work as the Retail Media Lead at the IAB UK. The IAB Retail Media Community has member companies from the biggest retailers, ad-tech, agencies and brands. The role is unique as I sit at the centre of the ecosystem, bringing together different parts of the industry to help drive collaboration, shared understanding and sustainable growth.
My role involves shaping industry conversations, identifying key challenges and opportunities, and working with members to develop guidance and best practice that supports the evolution of retail media in the UK. A big part of what I do is translating complex topics whether that’s measurement, standards or strategy into practical conversations that help move the market forward.
I spend time connecting stakeholders who don’t always work closely together day-to day, ensuring that retailer priorities, agency needs, ad-tech innovation and brand expectations are aligned. Ultimately, the goal is to help the industry mature in a way that drives value for businesses while also improving outcomes for consumers.
How did you first become interested in retail media and move into it?
I’ve been involved in retail media in some form since graduating from university. I started on a graduate programme at Pernod Ricard, which gave me early exposure to retailer commercial teams and a strong understanding of the broader media landscape.
That experience sparked my interest in how brands and retailers collaborate to drive both commercial and marketing outcomes. I then moved into a customer marketing role across the Tesco team, which gave me hands on experience of retailer priorities and shopper strategy.
I later joined Tesco Media as a Senior Client Partner, where I worked closely with some of the UK’s biggest brands to help them unlock the value of retail media. It was during this time that the industry really began to evolve, moving from a niche channel into a key part of media planning.
Having experienced retail media from both the brand and retailer side, joining the IAB felt like a natural next step. My current role allows me to bring those perspectives together supporting collaboration across the ecosystem and helping shape how retail media develops.
What most excites you about the industry today and what might happen next in RM?
What excites me most about retail media today is that we’re moving into a new phase of maturity. The early years were defined by rapid growth and experimentation, but the next stage will be shaped by consolidation, clearer standards, and stronger strategic leadership across the ecosystem.
We’re already seeing a shift away from retail media being treated as something separate, towards it becoming fully integrated within wider media and commerce planning.
Looking ahead, I think we’ll see greater consolidation not only in terms of platforms and partnerships, but also in how the industry operates. The networks and partners that succeed will be those led by experts who understand both media and retail dynamics, and who can deliver simplicity, transparency and measurable outcomes for brands.
As investment grows, expectations around measurement, accountability and long-term effectiveness will increase too.
I’m also really excited to see how creativity continues to evolve, particularly in-store. As retail media matures, there’s a real opportunity for brands to think differently about how they show up in physical retail environments, creating more distinctive, engaging experiences that blend brand storytelling with commerce in a way that feels natural for shoppers.
Ultimately, the future of retail media will be defined less by scale alone, and more by expertise, creativity and collaboration to deliver sustainable growth.
Who is your biggest inspiration in the retail media sector and why?
I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by some wonderful people within the retail media sector, but one of my biggest inspirations is Jess Cooke, who I worked with for many years at Tesco Media. Jess brings incredible energy and commitment to everything she does, always giving 110%, while also building a strong and supportive team culture.
What really stood out to me was her focus on collaboration and celebrating wins, something that can easily be overlooked in a fast-paced and demanding industry like retail media. She created an environment where people felt motivated, valued and able to do their best work, which had a huge impact on both team performance and morale.
Retail media can be incredibly busy and challenging, and Jess showed me that while the work itself is important, the people you work with make all the difference. That balance of ambition, teamwork and positivity is something I’ve carried with me into my own approach and continues to inspire how I work today.
What is the one retail media campaign or strategy you’ve been involved in that you’re proudest of?
One of the pieces of work I’m most proud of is supporting and helping shape the IAB Retail Media Growth Summit taking place on 10th June. Rather than focusing on a single campaign, this project is about bringing the whole industry together to have open, honest conversations about where retail media is heading and how we can collectively support its next phase of growth.
The summit is designed to encourage collaboration, share best practice and address some of the key challenges the industry is facing, from measurement and standards through to strategy and creativity.
I’m proud to be involved in an initiative that focuses on long-term development rather than short-term wins. Being part of something that helps shape the direction of the industry and creates space for the right conversations to happen feels like a real milestone in my current role.
