Maddie Basso.
Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
Maddie Basso: Head of Yahoo DSP, Australia
Time in current role:
I've been heading up Yahoo DSP Australia since July 2025 and before that I spent nearly a year and a half as Yahoo's Head of Commercial.
How would you describe what the company does?
In a world of signal loss and fragmented media, the Yahoo DSP is a powerful platform that combines first party data with Agentic AI to turn complex buying into better outcomes. Yahoo owns a web, mail, commerce and search ecosystem which helps advertisers understand audiences and create informed campaigns, and our proprietary tools help plan, activate, and measure omnichannel campaigns with precision.
What do you do day to day?
At a high level, I lead the Yahoo DSP team in Australia, working closely with agencies, clients and partners to drive growth and long-term value. A big part of my role is supporting my team and creating clarity around our priorities, removing barriers, and making sure we're showing up in the market in a way that's consistent, thoughtful and bold.
Day to day, that means spending time with clients and partners, understanding the real pressures they're facing and helping them navigate what can feel like an increasingly complex ecosystem. Whether it's fragmentation across CTV and retail media, evolving measurement expectations or the rise of AI-driven optimisation, the goal isn't just to talk about innovation but also how to make it accessible.
Ultimately, my job is to ensure we're not just bringing adtech products to market, but genuinely helping our partners make smarter, more confident decisions in a rapidly shifting media landscape.
Define your job in one word:
Momentum. This industry is fluid and constantly shape shifting, and the only way to keep up is by continuing to move forward. This means knowing that there are ebbs and flows, highs and lows, but we keep moving and having the drive to tackle the next challenge or achieving the next win. We are accountable for the speed of our momentum, but it underpins our whole industry.
5. I got into my industry because:
I buzz off people and I love a challenge! These two loves of mine combine in our industry and I thrive in the collaboration that happens before finding a solution. I'm also one of those kids that remembers many advertisements from my childhood like they were live just yesterday – I think I knew from a young age that there's a real cultural ripple effect that can happen from an ad and I wanted to be part of that.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Keeping pace without chasing noise. There's constant change and every year there's a new "must-do". The challenge is helping partners make progress through that complexity: choosing what matters, setting realistic expectations, and building solutions that scale beyond a one-off test.
What's the biggest industry wide challenge you'd like to see tackled?
I want more people to stay curious – especially right now.
You don't need to be the most technical person in the room, but you do need to understand how technology is influencing decisions. Ask questions. Pay attention to how tools are evolving. Think about the implications, not just the features.
At the same time, don't lose the human side of it. This is still a relationship business. Trust, judgement and commercial clarity matter just as much as innovation.
If you can stay adaptable, keep learning, and focus on delivering real outcomes, you'll build a career that lasts even as the landscape keeps shifting.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
A boss of mine in the UK. She had an incredible way of seeing the best in people, getting the most out of her team and lifting everyone up around her. I often think back to her ability to be so firm and assertive, yet so kind in the same token. She was a tremendous leader with no ego or ulterior motive, who would always make time for you when you needed it. She taught me to be unapologetically me and to use my unique capabilities and weirdness to my advantage. Although I've moved to Australia, it only takes one conversation with her to feel like I can conquer anything. I use her leadership skills as a north star in my day-to-day and I hope that I have the same effect on people.
I'm also lucky to have a lot of seriously impressive mentors in Australia, particularly some bold and powerful women who share their experiences and push me to constantly improve.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
3 things:
Your bounce back is everything. Resilience is one of the most important skills and you have to be able to take the good with the bad. Take ownership of your mistakes and use them to your advantage.
The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. I operate with a very fair lens and high standards. If you want to have a high performing team or strong book of business, set your standards and maintain them.
Be kind. People will always remember how you made them feel and you never know where people will end up in this industry. Treat everyone with respect and have your team's backs. Getting outcomes and treating each other with kindness can happen in tandem.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
A kid's TV presenter (I think everyone who knows me knows this by now). The energy, the fun, the ability to make people laugh – it all speaks to me. Think Totally Wild, Cheese TV or even Playschool. Maybe I can start a side hustle at Yahoo – Yahoo Kids?
My philosophy is:
Give it a crack! You'll be surprised at what you achieve when you try new things and gain new experiences. Everyone has an element of self-doubt or nerves (if you don't, I'd love to know your secret), but that's part of being human. Don't let it hold you back from new opportunities. The best decisions I've made were when I've taken a big leap of faith.
My favourite advert is:
This is a real blast from the past, but the Cadbury Moments ad where a woman answers the phone and it's a friend who is constantly complaining. So she teaches her pet cockatoo to say "Oh I know, yes I know" on repeat so she can continue watching her TV show. Love an ad about protecting your peace (aka eating chocolate on the couch).
Another ad that's really changed the meaning of a name for me is the Rhonda and Ketut ad saga, where AAMI built on a story over a series of ads. I recently had a friend call her puppy Rhonda, and the amount of brand recall from our group of friends was incredible to see. Nice one, AAMI!
Music and TV streaming habits:
Well my Spotify streaming age was 83 (turns out I'm a granny on the inside), but if you look through my liked songs you would have extreme whiplash from the different genres, years and types of music I listen to. I've always had a huge range of musical taste and it has always played a huge part in my life. I can listen to a song and it will take me back to a memory attached to that music.
TV streaming wise, I am the biggest Harrison Ford fan in all of Australia (if not the world), so I am constantly digging into the archives of his older movies like Indiana Jones, Blade Runner and Working Girl. More recently, Morning Glory and Shrinking have been a great watch!
What do you subscribe to?
I'm a big fan of the Calm app, Fuji X Weekly (I'm trying my hand at becoming a photographer…and somewhat failing so far) and Minutes (note-taking AI that's been a game changer!).
Tell us one thing people at work don't know about you?
This is a hard question because I am very much an open book! My team knows this, but every year my family and close friends go away and spend 4 days making our own Salami. I don't want to brag, but it's arguably the best salami in the world. If you want to sample the goods, I am always open to an antipasti party!
In five years time I'll be:
Maintaining this level of happiness is the overarching goal! As long as I'm in a role where I feel motivated, valued and I get the feeling I'm making a real positive impact across my team, then I'm content. In five years I hope to be achieving amazing things with my crew at Yahoo and continuing to grow – thanks to all the brilliant people I have around me in this industry.
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