Laura Desmond is the CEO at Smartly, an AI-powered advertising technology company, transforming ad experiences for brands and their consumers.

Prior to Smartly, Desmond was Chief Revenue Officer of Publicis Groupe and Chief Executive Officer of Starcom Mediavest Group, the #1 media and marketing services agency brand globally for five straight years under her leadership. Desmond has worked with some of the biggest and most successful marketers worldwide, including Samsung, Spotify, Coca-Cola, Visa, Bank of America, and P&G. 

During her career in Advertising, Desmond has been awarded many honors including: AAF Hall of Achievement, Ad Age “Women to Watch”, WSJ Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and Chairwoman of the Advertising Council. Today, Laura serves on the boards of Adobe, DoubleVerify, as well as Smartly.

Additionally, Desmond is a champion of the advancement of women’s sports serving as an early investor in Chicago women’s sports franchises, including the Chicago Sky and the Chicago Red Stars.