AUDIENCES Expands Strategic Advisory Board with Appointment of Agency and Technology Leader Steve Simpson
Steve Simpson Joins A Growing Group of Industry Leaders Advising The Company
London, UK - 30th March, 2026 - Following the recent launch of its Strategic Advisory Board, AUDIENCES, a cloud-native software company enabling brands to activate first-party data directly within their own cloud infrastructure, has announced the appointment of Steve Simpson as an advisor.
Simpson joins a growing group of industry leaders supporting AUDIENCES as it scales its technology globally, bringing deep expertise from across the agency, marketing and technology ecosystem.
An investor, advisor and fractional marketing and technology leader, Simpson is widely recognised for his work applying data, analytics, AI and technology to modern marketing challenges. He has extensive experience across global agency networks including WPP, Publicis and latterly Dentsu, working with some of the world’s leading brands to navigate increasingly complex marketing and data landscapes.
Simpson has built a reputation for developing scalable solutions that bridge complex technical ecosystems with real brand outcomes, helping organisations connect strategy, data and activation more effectively.
His appointment reflects AUDIENCES’ focus on ensuring its advisory board represents the full breadth of the industry from brands and platforms to agencies and technology leaders, at a time when organisations are under increasing pressure to deliver measurable, privacy-safe marketing performance.
The advisory board has been created to provide strategic guidance as AUDIENCES enters its next phase of growth, following the launch of its new brand and continued expansion of its leadership team. Unlike traditional approaches that require customer data to be moved into external platforms, AUDIENCES enables organisations to activate first-party audiences directly from within their own cloud infrastructure, maintaining full control over data governance, privacy and security.
At a time when industry estimates suggest fewer than 3% of media investments are currently informed by first-party data,AUDIENCES is helping organisations close the gap between data strategy and real-world activation.
The board acts as a group of trusted advisors to the leadership team, bringing experience from across the global marketing, media and technology ecosystem.
Rob McLaughlin, Founder and CEO of AUDIENCES, said: "Steve brings a deep understanding of how brands, agencies and technology need to work together to deliver real marketing outcomes. He has spent his career helping organisations navigate complexity and turn data and technology into something that drives growth. As we continue to scale AUDIENCES, having that perspective and incredible expertise - particularly across the agency ecosystem - is very valuable to us and to our customers. It's great to have Steve on board!"
Steve Simpson said: "AUDIENCES is changing the way data is applied to marketing decision-making. Brands have trusted relationships with their customers that they put at risk every day in the modern ecosystem. AUDIENCES has pioneered abetter and safer way that drives growth through signals, not datasets. I’m proud to be supporting the team as they build what comes next for the first parry data infrastructure. They are defining a new category of signal distribution."
Simpson’s appointment follows the recent announcement of the AUDIENCES Strategic Advisory Board, with additional advisors set to be introduced over the coming weeks as the company continues to build a group reflecting the full breadth of the modern marketing ecosystem.
