Anzu's EVP of Marketing & Strategy, Natalia Vasilyeva, has received the IAB Service of Excellence Award for her achievements in the in-game advertising industry.

Anzu’s EVP of Marketing & Strategy, Natalia Vasilyeva, has been awarded the IAB Service of Excellence Award as Outstanding Contributor to the Experience Center (a division which focuses on emerging advertising channels). She accepted her award yesterday (January 29) at the 2024 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM) in Marco Island, Florida.

Natalia was one of Anzu’s first team members, having joined in 2017 as Head of Marketing before being promoted to VP of Marketing in 2018 and then EVP of Marketing & Strategy in 2022.

Over the past seven years, Natalia has played a vital role in formulating Anzu’s vision and positioning and shaping the company into what it is today: the world’s leading intrinsic in-game platform for mobile, PC, console, and the metaverse. She now leads a global marketing and business operations team that spans across three continents and is made up of equal parts men and women.

Throughout her time at Anzu, Natalia has become a key contributor in helping build the in-game advertising category and is behind many of the company’s key partnerships with advertising and gaming clients, the AdTech industry, and strategic partners — including globally-renowned names such as NBCUniversal, WPP, Ubisoft, Samsung, Vodafone, Nielsen, and Sony Innovation Fund.

She has also become a role model for many across Anzu and the gaming and advertising spaces, having worked with industry drivers to promote social change — including Women in Marketing and the Fair Play Alliance. Within this wider effort, Natalia has led conversations about important topics, from kids’ online safety to harassment in games, to establish Anzu as a socially responsible and equitable company within the gaming industry.

"Natalia and I have now worked together for over a decade, at 3 different companies and across 4 different countries. Seeing how far she has come is amazing. Her passion and dedication to everything we do at Anzu and her commitment to improving the industry we work within are unmatched. I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more."  – Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO, Anzu

The IAB Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM), held each year to bring marketers together for executive keynotes, panel discussions, and networking experiences, recognizes digital leaders for their extraordinary contributions to the advertising sector.  

“I’m excited and honored to have just received an IAB Service of Excellence Award for Outstanding Contributor to the Experience Center at the 2024 IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting.

I am proud of all the work we’ve done with Anzu, our partners, and the IAB, and I am humbled to have been recognized for this accomplishment. It’s been a pleasure to be part of the conversation at this agenda-setting event in Florida.”  – Natalia Vasilyeva, EVP Marketing & Strategy, Anzu

Check out the full list of this year's IAB Service of Excellence Award recipients.