Petri Kokkonen Appointed Co-Lead of IAB Europe’s Programmatic Working Group

Why It Matters

Leadership in IAB Europe’s programmatic forum will influence standards that affect advertisers, publishers, and technology vendors across the continent, crucial as AI accelerates market complexity.

Key Takeaways

• Kokkonen co‑leads IAB Europe Programmatic WG.
• Group targets AI-driven programmatic transparency standards.
• 2026 agenda includes auction mechanics research.
• Focus on sell‑side decisioning and emerging channels.
• Relevant Digital CEO brings two decades industry experience.

Pulse Analysis

The IAB Europe Programmatic Working Group sits at the heart of the continent’s digital‑advertising ecosystem, convening ad‑tech vendors, publishers, and agencies to craft the rules that govern automated buying and selling. As programmatic budgets swell and artificial intelligence reshapes bidding algorithms, the group’s mandate to improve transparency and standardisation has never been more urgent. By coordinating research on auction dynamics and publishing best‑practice guidelines, the WG helps mitigate fragmentation that can erode trust among buyers and sellers across EU markets.

Petri Kokkonen’s appointment as co‑lead brings a rare blend of executive leadership and hands‑on product expertise. With more than two decades steering ad‑tech initiatives across Finland and Europe, he has overseen the evolution of programmatic workflows from basic real‑time bidding to AI‑enhanced optimisation. At Relevant Digital, Kokkonen’s flagship platform, Relevant Yield, equips publishers with modular SaaS tools that increase revenue visibility and reduce reliance on opaque intermediaries. His practical perspective is likely to steer the WG toward solutions that balance technological innovation with operational simplicity for the industry’s diverse participants.

The 2026 WG agenda spotlights three priority tracks: advancing standardisation, deepening research on auction mechanics, and addressing emerging channels such as connected TV and digital out‑of‑home. By publishing unified metrics for transparency, the group aims to curb price opacity that has long plagued programmatic transactions. Simultaneously, sell‑side decisioning frameworks will give publishers clearer control over inventory allocation, fostering a more sustainable revenue model. As AI continues to automate creative selection and audience targeting, the standards set by IAB Europe will shape the competitive landscape for ad‑tech firms across the continent.