Monetizr Taps Michelle Suttle to Lead Growth in Gaming Ad Revolution

ATLANTA, GA – April 27, 2026 – In a strategic move signaling a deeper push into the next frontier of digital advertising, Monetizr has appointed veteran growth strategist Michelle Suttle as its new Chief Growth Officer. The appointment comes as global brands increasingly pivot away from traditional, interruptive advertising in search of more effective, privacy-compliant ways to connect with consumers, with the vast and engaged gaming audience emerging as a prime landscape for innovation.

Suttle, a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience shaping growth for some of the world's most recognizable brands, joins Monetizr at a critical inflection point for the advertising industry. Her role will be to accelerate the company’s growth and solidify its position as a leader in the burgeoning in-game advertising sector.

“The industry is rethinking how it earns attention,” Suttle stated in the announcement. “Monetizr is forward-thinking. Rather than interrupting consumers, brands become part of the experience, earning the kind of high-quality attention that drives both engagement and action.”

A New Paradigm for Brand Attention

Monetizr’s strategy hinges on a fundamental shift in the advertiser-consumer relationship, moving from interruption to invitation. The company’s platform enables brands to create interactive, opt-in experiences inside mobile games where players are offered tangible in-game rewards—such as extra lives, currency, or power-ups—in exchange for their attention. This model directly addresses the growing consumer fatigue with intrusive pop-ups and unskippable pre-roll videos.

Research validates this approach, showing a strong consumer preference for rewarded ad formats. Studies indicate that a significant majority of mobile gamers, with some reports citing over 70%, willingly engage with rewarded ads and prefer them to other formats. This voluntary engagement results in near-perfect ad completion rates and fosters a positive association with the brand, which is perceived as a value-provider rather than a disruption. By giving users control, the model not only improves campaign effectiveness but also aligns with the privacy-first ethos of modern data regulations, as it relies on consented engagement rather than covert tracking.

This method of “earning attention” provides brands with a direct line to consumers, allowing them to gather consented first-party data and measure campaign impact in real time—a valuable proposition in an era where third-party cookies are being phased out.

Tapping into the $9 Billion Gaming Gold Rush

The scale of the opportunity is immense. The global in-game advertising market was valued at approximately $9 billion in 2024 and is on a steep upward trajectory, with some forecasts projecting it to more than double to over $23 billion by 2033. This growth is fueled by the colossal global gaming audience, which now exceeds 3.8 billion people.

Mobile gaming is the undisputed engine of this market, accounting for the lion's share of both players and revenue. This makes Monetizr’s focus on mobile publishers particularly potent. The company already works with leading game publishers like Kwalee and Voodoo, providing brands with access to millions of highly engaged users across a diverse portfolio of games. Major brands including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, KFC, and Haleon have already leveraged the platform to run campaigns, demonstrating the model’s scalability and appeal to top-tier advertisers.

For these brands, the platform unlocks a previously hard-to-reach demographic in an environment where they are relaxed and receptive. Case studies from the company showcase impressive metrics, such as campaigns achieving over 40 seconds of average user engagement and significant lifts in purchase intent, proving that high-quality attention can translate directly into measurable business outcomes.

A Proven Leader for a Shifting Landscape

Michelle Suttle’s extensive background makes her uniquely suited to navigate this evolving terrain. Before joining Monetizr, she served as Chief Growth Officer at experience consultancy Tangible. Her career is anchored by leadership roles at advertising giants WPP and VML, where she steered growth and marketing strategy for a portfolio of global powerhouses including Barilla, Coca-Cola, Ferrari, and Haleon.

Her experience working directly with the very brands Monetizr aims to serve provides her with an intrinsic understanding of their challenges and objectives. “Michelle brings a rare combination of brand, growth, and strategic depth,” said Andris Merkulovs, Co-founder and CEO of Monetizr. “As advertisers rethink how they earn attention, her experience working with some of the world’s leading brands will be critical in helping Monetizr scale and define what comes next for in-game advertising.”

Beyond her corporate achievements, Suttle is an active voice in the industry, having been featured at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and participating in networks like the Forrester Women’s Leadership Network. Her advocacy for neurodiversity in business, including her involvement with the Dyslexic Advantage Movement, also points to a modern, human-centric leadership style that aligns with Monetizr’s people-first advertising philosophy.

Navigating a Competitive and Innovative Field

Monetizr operates within a dynamic and competitive ecosystem. The rewarded advertising space includes established players like Unity Ads, which incorporates technology from ironSource and Tapjoy, and Digital Turbine. Simultaneously, other innovators like Anzu and Bidstack are pioneering “intrinsic advertising,” where brand assets are seamlessly integrated into the 3D game environment, such as on a virtual billboard.

However, Monetizr carves out its niche by focusing on interactive rewarded experiences that go beyond simple video views. By allowing players to actively engage with brand content through mini-games, surveys, or product discoveries, the platform creates a deeper level of connection and recall.

Suttle’s appointment is a clear statement of intent. By bringing in a leader with a proven track record of scaling growth for global brands, Monetizr is signaling its ambition to not just participate in the in-game advertising market, but to lead its evolution. The move leverages Suttle's strategic expertise to convert the massive potential of the gaming audience into a mainstream, must-have component of the modern marketing mix. This strategic hire underscores the company's commitment to building a new advertising standard where value exchange and user respect are the cornerstones of brand communication.