FreeWheel, a Comcast company, has announced the appointment of Tess O’Brien as its Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand. 

As part of her new role, O’Brien will work to connect FreeWheel, the global technology platform for the television advertising industry, with both buyers and sellers in Australia via FreeWheel’s streaming advertising technology.

O’Brien will be located in her hometown of Sydney after spending eight years in FreeWheel’s head office in New York, in both product and commercial leadership roles. Most recently she led FreeWheel’s buy-side business in North America, and was instrumental in the launch of a number of product innovations; including FreeWheel’s programmatic marketplace, identity and measurement solutions, and linear addressable capabilities.  She gained media recognition for her work and was named as a Business Insider “Rising Star in Adtech,” in 2023, and a “Young Influential” by Adweek in 2019. 

 Before her time at FreeWheel, O’Brien held various commercial and corporate strategy roles, including at Foxtel Media (formerly Multi Channel Network) in Australia.

Commenting on her appointment, Tess O’Brien, said, “I’m thrilled to return to Australia, during a period of immense change in the TV industry. Data and technology are fueling new ways to transact media and we are excited to bring our wealth of streaming expertise and market leading technology to power new partnerships in this region. FreeWheel is the trusted platform powering the global television ecosystem because of our commitment to directly connect buyers & sellers while enabling advertising solutions that complement the premium viewer experience.”

Thomas Bremond, SVP & CRO International said of the appointment, “APAC is a key expansion area for us and Tess’s appointment demonstrates our continued commitment towards the region. Tess’s experience with global streaming platforms, programmatic and understanding of the Australian advertising ecosystem uniquely positions her to be a leader in the Australian market. We recognize the increasing need for global programmatic advertising solutions, and we’re delighted to support our clients and the entire premium video ecosystem in the region.”