Villani (pictured) will take up his new role in late September having previously been senior vice-president at Appier.

Prior to that, Villani founded his own digital marketing and brand consultancy and has also served as regional managing director for south Asia and the Pacific at Criteo.

 Villani will be responsible for the CitrusAd business across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and will focus on customer success, strategic partnerships, client retention, team growth and new business development in the region. 

CitrusAd was founded in 2017 and runs a retail media platform that helps retailers to monetise their on-site and off-site digital assets and allows brands to launch and review advertising campaigns.

Adam Skinner, chief operating Officer at CitrusAd, said: “With a strong pipeline from across the region, this appointment ensures CitrusAd responds to the needs of our growing retailer and advertiser network.

“The addition of Alban will significantly strengthen our global executive team in its strategic evolution.”