11th March 2026, LONDON, UK – The International Advertising Association (IAA) has today announced the appointment of Kirsty Giordani as Global Managing Director. Giordani, who has served as the Executive Director for the IAA UK since 2019, has been acting as interim Global Managing Director since November 2025.
In her new role, Giordani will spearhead the association’s global operations and strategic growth. For the first time, the IAA Global office will be headquartered in London, leveraging the city’s position as an international hub for the advertising and marketing industries.
As Executive Director of the IAA UK, Giordani transformed the organisation’s business model and membership value proposition, increasing impact and annual revenue and enabling the professionalisation of the non-profit through the hiring of a permanent executive team. Giordani is recognised for championing diversity and flexible working models, particularly supportive of working parents. She also introduced high-impact initiatives including ‘IAA Brand Academy’ for junior marketers and ‘IAA TALKS’, a thought leadership series addressing critical industry trends such as artificial intelligence and attention measurement.
Fredrik Borestrom, IAA Chair and World President, and Director of International Agency Development EMEA & LATAM at LinkedIn, commented: “Kirsty is a genuine, compassionate, and authentic leader who has consistently demonstrated the global outlook and cross-border collaboration that are at the heart of the IAA. Since 2019, Kirsty transformed IAA UK and built a strong team. She navigated the business through some challenging times, with impeccable leadership, ensuring we emerged as a much stronger and more stable organisation. Over the last 4 months, Kirsty has expertly managed the successful transition of IAA Global into a new era , demonstrating immediate impact and we are incredibly lucky to have her leading our global efforts in the future.”
Tom Stein, Chairman and Chief Brand Officer, Stein commented: “Stein has been a corporate member of IAA globally for several years. Its reach and impact have grown considerably during that time. With Kirsty as our new Managing Director working with Fredrik Borestrom, myself, our other officers and global and chapter leadership, IAA is poised for extraordinary growth in membership, influence and relevance for the marketing community worldwide. It’s a thrilling time to be part of IAA as we navigate a world of change.”
Giordani brings extensive industry experience to the global role, including a decade at CNN where she worked with global brands, delivering cross-platform solutions. A long-standing advocate for the IAA, she previously served as VP of the Young Professionals Committee and supported the PAC residential training course at Oxford University for eight years.
Kirsty Giordani, Global Managing Director of the IAA, added: “People across our industry care deeply about the IAA for its values, sense of community and constant presence in their careers. I am one of those people and I’m honoured to have been entrusted with leading it in my new role as Global Managing Director. Working with the Global President and the global board, we will build upon the great legacy of the IAA and take it into the future. I am lucky to work with such dedicated members who give their time, expertise and spirit to our organisation and industry as a whole.”
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