Comcast’s Universal Ads Appoints David Shaw as Head of Global Expansion to Oversee Platform’s International Rollout

Comcast’s Universal Ads announced the appointment of David Shaw as Head of Global Expansion. Universal Ads, which launched last year in the U.S., enables brands of any size to create, buy, and measure ads across premium video. In his new role, Shaw will lead the commercial rollout of the platform, globally.

“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.”

He will have responsibility for market entry, building scale and sustaining growth across the world, while overseeing the recruitment of Universal Ads’ European team, spanning sales, operations, product and customer success. He will also work closely with the global Universal Ads product and engineering teams to ensure any solutions reflect local market needs.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Michael McNeal, VP of Product at SALESmanago

Shaw brings an established track record of building and scaling advertising companies internationally. He has held senior roles at several of the world’s largest digital platforms including Twitter, Snap, TikTok, and Reddit, leading commercial growth, product strategy and partner ecosystem development initiatives.

At Twitter, Shaw was an early member of the commercial team, where he helped to launch the ads platform internationally before becoming lead for partnerships across EMEA. He became Snap’s first international ads product team member as it launched its self-serve advertising business globally.

Shaw led the strategy and growth of TikTok’s partner ecosystem across EMEA, spanning commerce, creative, creators, measurement, branded effects and campaign management. At Reddit, he spearheaded the launch of the company’s ads API, onboarding and commercially scaling the platform’s first developers and driving substantial monthly active advertiser and revenue growth.

Commenting on his appointment, David Shaw said: “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.”

Thomas Bremond, Managing Director, International, Comcast Advertising, added: “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 fresh perspective and proven ability to work with advertisers and agencies of every size make him the ideal leader to accelerate Universal Ads’ growth across Europe.”

James Borow, Vice President of Product Management & Engineering, Universal Ads, said: “Our mission with Universal Ads is pretty simple: make TV work the way modern marketers need it to. That means premium inventory, real performance signals, intuitive tools, and zero unnecessary complexity. Expanding this proposition globally is incredibly exciting, and with David leading the charge, we’re confident we can help brands across the region turn TV into a true growth engine.”

After gaining significant momentum in the US market in 2025, Universal Ads is poised for its next chapter – starting with expansion to the UK in 2026.