Universal Ads appoints David Shaw to lead global rollout
Comcast’s Universal Ads has appointed David Shaw as head of global expansion, tasking him with leading the international rollout of the advertising platform as it prepares to enter markets beyond the U.S.
Universal Ads, which launched in the U.S. last year, enables brands of different sizes to create, buy, and measure advertising across premium video environments. In his role, David Shaw will oversee global market entry, build scale, and support long-term growth while leading the formation of the company’s European team across sales, operations, product, and customer success.
Driving international growth for Universal Ads
David Shaw will also work closely with Universal Ads’ global product and engineering teams to ensure the platform reflects local market requirements as it expands internationally.
David Shaw brings experience in building and scaling advertising businesses across multiple regions. He has held senior positions at Twitter, Snap, TikTok, and Reddit, where he led initiatives spanning commercial growth, product strategy, and partner ecosystem development.
At Twitter, David Shaw was an early member of the commercial team and supported the international launch of the advertising platform before leading partnerships across EMEA. He later joined Snap as the company’s first international ads product team member, contributing to the global rollout of its self-serve advertising business.
He subsequently led the strategy and growth of TikTok’s partner ecosystem across EMEA, covering commerce, creative, creators, measurement, branded effects, and campaign management. At Reddit, he led the launch of the company’s ads API, onboarding developers and scaling advertiser adoption and revenue.
David Shaw, head of global expansion: "I’m excited to embark on this mission to establish Universal Ads as a best-in-class platform where brands can unlock true performance at scale on TV. I look forward to learning from the experienced leaders at Comcast and assembling a world-class team of experts to support marketers as they accelerate their journey into television."
Leadership perspectives on the appointment
Thomas Bremond, managing director, international, Comcast Advertising: "David brings an unparalleled blend of ad-tech leadership, product expertise, and go-to-market experience. He has successfully launched and scaled platforms internationally and built high-performing teams across multiple territories. His perspective and ability to work with advertisers and agencies of every size make him well suited to lead Universal Ads’ growth across Europe."
James Borow, vice president of product management and engineering, Universal Ads: "Our mission with Universal Ads is to make TV work the way modern marketers need it to. That means premium inventory, performance signals, intuitive tools, and minimal complexity. Expanding this proposition internationally is an important step, and David’s leadership will support brands as they use television to drive growth."
Following momentum in the U.S. market in 2025, Universal Ads is preparing for international expansion, beginning with the UK in 2026.
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