IAS Appoints Melissa Furze as Head of Data Science

Former LinkedIn executive to scale IAS’s data science and AI capabilities worldwide

Integral Ad Science, a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, announced that Melissa Furze joined the company as Head of Data Science at IAS reporting to the Chief Technology Officer. Melissa will lead the company’s global data science, AI, and analytics strategy, partnering closely with product, engineering, and the commercial teams to accelerate innovation, strengthen protection and performance capabilities, and deliver trusted, data-driven outcomes for advertisers and publishers worldwide.

“Mel brings an exceptional combination of deep technical expertise, global leadership, and commercial impact,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of Integral Ad Science. “Her experience building AI-powered data organizations and translating insights into real customer value will be instrumental as IAS leans into our AI-first strategy to leverage our deep data insights to power new solutions that make advertising more valuable.”

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Melissa brings more than two decades of global leadership experience in data, analytics, AI, and customer insights to the company. She joins IAS from LinkedIn, where she most recently served as Global Vice President of Customer Science for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions and as a member of the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Executive Team, reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in scaling LinkedIn’s marketing business.

At LinkedIn, Melissa built and led the Customer Science organization, uniting analytics, research, data engineering, AI development, measurement, and solutions engineering into a single global function. In this role, Melissa led multi-year commercial and AI transformation strategies, including overseeing the development of proprietary intelligence platforms, automation initiatives for improving productivity at scale, and the commercialization of advanced data and measurement products. She was the commercial lead for data privacy, and measurement programs, covering trust and governance across global data solutions.

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Prior, Melissa held multiple senior leadership positions at LinkedIn over more than a decade, including Global Director of Marketing Insights and senior analytics leadership roles across EMEA and LATAM. Earlier in her career, Melissa held executive analytics roles at organizations including DAA (Dublin Airport Authority), O2 (Telefónica Group), Eircom, and Wunderman, where she led global data, analytics, and insight teams across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Australia.

“I’m excited to join IAS at a pivotal moment for the company,” said Melissa. “IAS plays a critical role in delivering trust, transparency, and performance across digital media, and I look forward to building on its strong foundation to drive the next generation of data science and AI-powered solutions.”