Lauren Ver Steeg

About Lauren Ver Steeg

Associate Director of Programmatic with 6+ years of experience driving performance, brand growth, and media efficiency in highly regulated industries, including pharmaceutical and alcohol beverage brands.I specialize in owning complex programmatic ecosystems end-to-end, from audience strategy and media investment to measurement, compliance, and optimization, with a proven track record managing $20MM+ in annual media spend. My work sits at the intersection of brand, performance, and analytics, ensuring media strategies are both scalable and accountable to real business outcomes.Currently, I lead programmatic strategy and execution across multiple brands, partnering closely with brand, analytics, legal, and compliance teams to deliver measurable impact while navigating strict regulatory environments. I\'m passionate about building repeatable frameworks, advancing ad tech innovation (CTV, identity solutions, automation), and translating complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior stakeholders.As a people leader, I\'ve built and mentored high-performing teams, focusing on accountability, growth, and operational excellence. I thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy working cross-functionally to align media strategy with broader marketing and business objectives. Outside of work, you\'ll probably find me skiing down a mountain, running through whatever city I\'m currently in, hanging out with my dog Moose, or laughing with friends over a good beer.Core Strengths: Programmatic and Media Strategy | CTV & Video | Audience and Identity Solutions | Marketing Analytics | Budget Ownership ($20MM+)| Team Leadership | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Regulated Industry Compliance

Experience

1. Associate Director, Programmatic

   Good Apple

   Sep 2025 — Present

   Own programmatic media strategy across display, video, and CTV for multiple brands in highly regulated industries (pharma, alcohol beverage), overseeing $20MM+ in annual media investment.Lead planning, audience strategy, activation, optimization, and measurement, ensuring alignment with brand objectives, performance goals, and regulatory requirements.Manage, mentor, and develop a team of 4 programmatic strategists, driving performance excellence, career progression, and best-practice adoption.Partner cross-functionally with brand, analytics, paid search, paid social, media leadership, and compliance teams to deliver integrated marketing strategies.Serve as senior programmatic lead for client and executive stakeholders, translating complex media strategies into clear business outcomes through POVs, media plans, and presentations.Drive innovation across the programmatic practice, including adoption of CTV, custom audiences, identity solutions (e.g, UID 2.0), automation, and campaign templates.Key Impacts:Delivered double-digit efficiency improvements through optimization frameworks and strategic budget reallocation.Scaled CTV and advanced audience solutions to achieve measurable lifts in brand awareness and consideration while maintaining strict compliance.Established standardized documentation, tools, and training programs adopted across teams and accounts.Authored case studies highlighting innovative programmatic executions and performance gains.

Education

• University of Delaware

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Business Administration, Marketing

  2015 — 2019

• Spencerport High School

  High School

  2011 — 2015

Skills

• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Facebook
• Marketing
• Strategic Planning
• Research
• Public Speaking
• Microsoft Word
• Team Leadership
• Time Management
• Money Transfers
• Social Media
• Teamwork
• Microsoft Excel
• Leadership
• Communication
• Customer Service
• Community Outreach
• Microsoft Powerpoint