Nickolas Rekeda on Resilience, Transformation and Building up the Ukrainian Market

In this episode, Verena Gründel speaks with Nickolas Rekeda, CMO
of MGID, an international ad tech company with deep roots in
Ukraine. They discuss how digital advertising is helping to
support free journalism and democracy, even amidst war. Nickolas
shares how Ukraine's ad market adapted in crisis, why CTV is
booming, and how MGID supports the local industry through
innovation, resilience, and collaboration.


What happens to advertising when a war breaks out?
Nickolas Rekeda, CMO of MGID, gives us an extraordinary look
behind the scenes of the Ukrainian ad tech market.




Ad spend dropped by 80% in 2022




Local delivery services became vital for survival




CTV usage surged as a new form of escapism




Clean rooms and data innovation are now being exported
globally




In this episode, Nickolas explains how his team kept going — and
why ad tech can help protect democracy.


If you enjoyed the episode, you should definitely also watch
Nickola’s keynote at DMEXCO CMO 2025. It’s full of sharp
insights, personal stories, and actionable takeaways for
marketing leaders:
https://community.dmexco.com/event/dmexco-2025/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMjc5NzQ0Nw==


All DMEXCO 2025 sessions are available on demand for free. Simply
register at and dive into the full treasure trove of digital
marketing content.