Terry Kane isn’t just watching the numbers; he’s watching the horizon. As the Managing Director for The Trade Desk in the Middle East & Africa, he balances the high-speed demands of a multi-billion-dollar ad market with the discipline and focus of an ultra-marathoner. In a region defined by rapid acceleration and “mobile-first” chaos, he states that real leadership isn’t about sprinting to the next trend; it’s about the grit to keep going when the momentum slows.
From closing the “reality gap” in media buying to the explosive rise of retail data, Terry explains why the future of the Open Internet belongs to those who have the stamina to build it right.
Your career spans leadership at iconic brands alongside a personal life as an ultra-marathoner. How does the mental resilience of endurance sports shape your approach to leading a high-growth tech business in the MENA region?
Endurance sport strips everything back to fundamentals. When you are deep into an ultra-marathon or Ironman, often operating on minimal sleep, under extreme physical stress, and with no certainty of the outcome, you learn that progress is not driven by emotion, but by discipline, clarity, and execution. You focus on the next step, not the finish line. That same principle applies directly to building and leading a high-growth technology business in a complex and fast-moving region like MENA.
“Scaling a business isn’t a sprint; it requires the ability to maintain long-term conviction while you navigate short-term volatility.”
Endurance sport builds the capacity to remain calm under pressure, make rational decisions when conditions are uncertain, and continue moving forward even when momentum slows. It teaches pacing—knowing when to accelerate and when to conserve energy. These are critical leadership skills when building markets that are evolving as quickly as MENA.
Most importantly, it provides resilience and perspective. Growth is never linear; there are setbacks, external shocks, and moments of doubt. Leaders who can maintain focus and protect their teams from that volatility are the ones who create lasting impact. That mindset has shaped how I approach leadership every day.
The MENA region is currently a global outlier in digital adoption. What is the most unique characteristic of this market that global brands often fail to grasp?
MENA’s digital economy is still relatively young, but it is expanding at a remarkable speed with a highly connected and digitally fluent population.
“The digital advertising spend in the region reached $6.95 billion in 2024—reflecting a massive 19.8 percent year-on-year increase.”
That kind of growth makes understanding modern advertising economics a board-level priority. The industry is ripe for a change, and the omnichannel opportunity is right in front of us.
As a mobile-first region with one of the world’s youngest populations, MENA offers exceptional potential for brands that lean into those omnichannel strategies. Consumers move fluidly across a wide range of digital platforms, and success depends on delivering consistent, relevant messaging across all touchpoints. Brands that take a fragmented approach risk missing the opportunity to build genuine loyalty.
At the same time, global advertisers are eager to reach the region’s 350 million consumers. Capturing that demand requires the industry to scale premium inventory, improve transparent reporting, and accelerate the adoption of programmatic advertising.
With the region continuing to rank in the Top 5 EMEA markets by size, we are seeing solid expansion in digital investment, reinforcing the importance of data-driven marketing strategies. That is where The Trade Desk comes in; we work with a wide range of advertisers to connect them with premium publishers and quality opportunities, ensuring brand safety and maximising campaign value.
You’ve consistently championed technical upskilling as a foundation for future-ready marketing teams. In an AI-driven era, what is the single most important non-technical mindset shift that the next generation of MENA marketers must embrace to remain relevant and effective?
I personally advocate for lifelong learning and there is no better place to be right now than ad tech and AI in our region. The future is here for those who ramp up and stand out.
However, there is a reality gap today. Around 70 percent of MENA consumers’ online time is spent on the open internet, including trusted news sites, premium streaming video services such as Netflix, Disney, OSN and digital audio like Spotify or Anghami. Yet these statistics nowhere near match the digital ad spend in the Middle East today. This imbalance is costing brands more than they realise.
There is a massive opportunity to reach audiences where they actually spend their time, using data-driven and premium, brand-safe platforms. As consumer attention shifts, marketers must reassess how budgets are allocated and ensure investment matches actual engagement.
Ultimately, strong advertising decisions depend on the availability and accuracy of data and insights. Access to rigorous, real-time performance insights allows brands to continuously refine campaigns, improve effectiveness, and drive stronger outcomes over time. Media planners, traders and all those within the value chain can maximise the free training we offer through The Edge Academy.
You often emphasise the role of objectivity in advertising. Why is maintaining a clear separation between content ownership and media buying becoming increasingly critical for brands seeking to protect consumer trust in today’s digital ecosystem?
One of The Trade Desk’s core values is objectivity. We are proud to be fully independent and operate only on the buy-side of the digital advertising ecosystem, serving only advertisers and agencies. Our commitment to objectivity means we will never own content or expand our reach into other areas of the advertising ecosystem.
For years, Big Tech platforms like Google, Amazon and Meta, have acted as the seller, buyer, auctioneer, and scorekeeper of digital ads, controlling every part of the ad process. In most industries, that concentration of roles would be considered a conflict of interest, yet it has been standard practice in the media. How can one of these brands operate with spend integrity when they always optimise for where they generate most profit? Simply put, they cannot.
“Forward-looking brands and marketers globally are rethinking this dependence and are redirecting budgets towards the open internet, everything outside Big Tech’s walled gardens.”
Here, premium publishers and streaming services compete on quality and transparency. Advertisers own their data, see independent measurement, and can choose placements that truly align with their brand values. This shift enables brands to build trust and long-term relationships with consumers, rather than chasing opaque metrics. With global digital ad spend approaching $1 trillion, momentum toward openness, accountability, and choice is unmistakable.
As conversations around transparency and the Open Internet intensify, what practical steps should regional brands take to build a digital supply chain that is not only efficient, but also secure, privacy-compliant, and resilient for the long term?
The “Open Internet” refers to the largest group of your favorite content, whether that’s television stations, local news websites, or the podcasts that you listen to every day and so much more.
“This is the most premium space online, and our role is to enable brands to get access to this prime time.“
To build a future-proof supply chain, brands should prioritise trusted partners, demand clear transparency in measurement and reporting, ensure privacy-compliant data practices, and ultimately invest in technologies that offer flexibility and control. These steps create a foundation that is not only efficient today, but durable and secure over the long-term.
By embracing AI-powered programmatic buying on the open internet, local brands can compete toe-to-toe with global giants. They can reach the right audience in premium environments, measure true customer lifetime value, and build campaigns on trust, transparency, and performance.
Quite often, we realise that accessing this seems daunting, but really it is straightforward.
Looking toward 2026, a milestone year for many regional economic visions, what is your boldest prediction for how the MENA media ecosystem will lead global standards rather than follow them?
AI is an obvious one. We have been continuously evolving our products to maximise the enormity of the open internet since before 2020. This touches all aspects of media buying, effectiveness, transparency and measurement. Additionally, and more focused, retail data will be the defining force.
“Retail sales in the GCC region are projected to reach USD 387 billion by 2028, with the sector growing at a CAGR of 4.6 percent. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are expected to lead this growth, with CAGRs of 5.4 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively, solidifying the region as retail’s next global “hot spot.”
While retail data is still in its early stages in the Middle East, it represents a powerful opportunity. Leveraging first-party retail insights across the open internet enables more accurate targeting, deeper measurement, and stronger performance throughout the customer journey.
A crucial piece of the omnichannel puzzle, retail data turns consumer behaviour into actionable intelligence, enabling advertisers to target with greater accuracy, relevance and impact.
“I expect retail media and retail data adoption to accelerate rapidly, with more retailers entering the ecosystem and these insights playing a central role in powering digital advertising.”
We are already seeing strong progress globally and regionally through partnerships with leading players such as Majid Al Futtaim. The opportunity in this space is immense, and The Trade Desk is committed to leading it.
