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Trade Desk Names Co-Founder to Lead CTO Council

Dave Pickles will establish and lead the new council, which will work with engineering and product teams on the company's core technology roadmap.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Advertising

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The Trade Desk named co-founder Dave Pickles to lead a new CTO Council overseeing its core technology and product roadmap, returning him to a central technical role. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Trade Desk announced that co-founder Dave Pickles will establish and lead a new CTO Council. The council will work with the company's engineering and product teams on its core technology and product roadmap.

Why it matters

The move returns Pickles to a central technical role after he stepped down as chief technology officer and left the board in 2023. It comes as the company's stock trades 91% below its peak and its revenue growth has slowed.

The Trade Desk reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $715 million, up 3% from a year earlier and about $37.6 million below analyst forecasts. Third-quarter guidance of at least $650 million implies a projected 12% year-over-year decline, and the company's results for that quarter have not yet been reported.

The players

The Trade Desk

A publicly traded advertising technology company that operates a demand-side platform for buying digital advertising.

Dave Pickles

A co-founder of The Trade Desk who previously served as its chief technology officer and board member before stepping down in 2023.

The details

Pickles, a co-founder of The Trade Desk, stayed on as an advisor after stepping down as chief technology officer in 2023. The CTO Council he will lead is designed to work alongside engineering and product teams on the company's core technology and product roadmap.

Timeline

  1. 2016: The Trade Desk went public with a $1.1 billion market capitalization on its first day of trading.

  2. 2023: Pickles stepped down as chief technology officer and left the board, and the company launched its Kokai platform, which it later sunsetted.

  3. Aug. 2026: The Trade Desk reported second-quarter revenue and issued third-quarter guidance.

  4. Nov. 3, 2026: The company announced the CTO Council.

  5. Nov. 9, 2026: The Trade Desk is expected to report third-quarter earnings.

Market Landscape

The leadership change follows the company's 2023 launch and later sunsetting of its Kokai platform, a period in which its shares fell 91% from their peak. The reorganization of technical leadership comes as the company faces a projected first year-over-year revenue decline as a public company.

For advertisers and agencies that buy through The Trade Desk, the company's technical roadmap will shape the tools and platform features available in coming quarters. Pricing and product changes will depend on how the new council's work is implemented.

The takeaway

Leadership changes at companies whose growth has stalled often signal a renewed focus on core technology, and advertisers should watch the upcoming earnings report for evidence of whether that focus changes results.

What happens next

The Trade Desk is expected to report third-quarter earnings on Nov. 9, 2026, which will show whether the projected revenue decline materializes.

Further reading

For more on the industry, see the Advertising section's coverage of ad-tech platforms and market shifts.