The Trade Desk has appointed Sarah Gavin as Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, the company announced via Business Wire.

Gavin takes over the top marketing role at a company that has made the CMO position a board-level priority. The dual title — Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President — signals the seniority the company attaches to brand and demand leadership.

Who is Sarah Gavin?

Gavin arrives at The Trade Desk with the mandate to lead the company's marketing organization. The announcement, distributed through Business Wire, confirms both the CMO title and the Executive Vice President designation.

For marketing leaders tracking executive moves across the ad-tech sector, the appointment is a data point worth noting: The Trade Desk has filled its most senior marketing seat with a leader carrying an EVP portfolio, placing marketing leadership directly within the company's executive ranks.

What does the appointment signal?

Companies that pair the CMO title with an Executive Vice President appointment typically position marketing as a strategic function rather than a support discipline. In Gavin's case, the combined title means she reports into the company's senior leadership structure with responsibility for the full marketing remit.

The Trade Desk announced the move in a formal press release, the standard channel for officer-level appointments at publicly disclosed companies. The wording of the announcement — "The Trade Desk Appoints Sarah Gavin as Chief Marketing Officer, Executive Vice President" — frames the appointment as a single combined role rather than two separate positions.

What should CMOs take from this move?

Three observations stand out for marketing-leadership readers:

• Executive-level mandate. The EVP title places the marketing function within The Trade Desk's senior executive structure.
• Formal appointment process. The company used Business Wire, the standard newswire for corporate officer announcements, indicating a governance-level hire rather than an internal reshuffle communicated informally.
• Combined role. One leader holds both the CMO and EVP titles, consolidating marketing authority in a single executive.

Why the appointment matters now

Executive appointments at The Trade Desk draw attention across the advertising technology sector, where the company operates. A new CMO typically means fresh direction for brand strategy, marketing investment and go-to-market execution.

Gavin's appointment answers the question of who leads that agenda. As Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, she assumes responsibility for the company's marketing organization and its executive representation.

The announcement itself is short on operational detail — as officer appointments routinely are — but the structure of the appointment is clear: Sarah Gavin now leads marketing at The Trade Desk at the executive vice president level.

CMO Observer will track any further detail the company releases on Gavin's remit, reporting structure and marketing priorities as it becomes available.