Freestar appoints former Washington Post executive John Ilacqua as EVP of growth and publisher development. Ilacqua joins Freestar to further accelerate growth and help publishers drive meaningful revenue. Posted Tuesday, March 10, 2026 10:53 am PHOENIX - Freestar, the leading publisher services and monetization partner for the world's most trusted digital media brands, today announced the appointment of John Ilacqua as executive vice president of growth and publisher development, where he will lead the expansion of Freestar's global footprint and deepen the organization's relationships across the advertising ecosystem. In this new role, Ilacqua will oversee the company's go-to-market strategy and expansion of its publisher partner base. He will also work alongside Freestar's leadership team to identify new market opportunities, ensuring the company continues to deliver measurable value to its publisher partners and advertisers. Ilacqua joins Freestar from The Washington Post, where he most recently held the position of managing director, Arc XP, with a focus on publisher growth, strategy, content operations and sustainable revenue streams. Before The Washington Post, Ilacqua held leadership positions at The Media Trust, EMX Digital, Jun Group (now Verve) and CBS. "John is an incredibly well-respected leader in the publishing ecosystem," said Kurt Donnell, CEO of Freestar. "He truly understands firsthand the pressures that today's publishers face - from juggling fragmented tools and data to the new complexities brought on by AI. We're thrilled to welcome him to the Freestar leadership team as we continue to scale our impact for publishers." Freestar is a publisher-first partner for mid-sized to enterprise publishers that want to streamline programmatic monetization, optimize yield and reduce operational burden through integrated technologies, innovation and white-glove customer service. Most recently, the company announced its new publisher operating system, pubOS, providing digital publishers with a single, integrated platform to manage monetization, operations and growth. "Supporting news institutions, journalism and new media has always been near and dear to my heart," said Ilacqua. "Publishers deserve experienced partners who can help them build and grow sustainable businesses, so that they can remain focused on what matters most: news gathering, quality journalism and storytelling. Freestar has earned a reputation for being one of the most trusted partners for premium publishers, who can strategize around today's complex monetization challenges. I'm excited to bring more of the world's best publishers into the Freestar ecosystem so they can truly thrive." Freestar is a leading publisher services and monetization partner to many of the world's most trusted digital media brands. Through pubOS - the Publisher Operating System, Freestar combines enterprise-grade technology, an integrated partner marketplace, and white-glove service to help digital publishers maximize revenue and navigate the AI Age. Over the past decade, Freestar has driven over $1 billion in revenue for publishers. It manages more premium Jounce Media Bellwether publishers than any other publisher services partner. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, it has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States on the annual Inc. 5000 list for seven consecutive years, most notably earning the number one spot in 2019. Additional honors include AdWeek's AI Tool of the Year and the Titan Business Awards Customer Service Team of the Year. Learn more at www.freestar.com. Other items that may interest you E&P Exlusives

Freestar, a publisher services and monetisation partner, has launched pubOS, a unified Publisher Operating System designed to help digital media companies optimise revenue and streamline operations. The platform replaces fragmented technology solutions with an integrated system combining monetisation tools, partner marketplace and expert support. PubOS features Freestar's proprietary monetisation technology, including a custom Prebid wrapper and AI-driven yield engine. It integrates with partners like TollBit for AI content monetisation, The Media Trust for ad quality, and Gamera for audience analytics. The platform aims to reduce vendor fatigue by simplifying solution testing and integration. The system includes dedicated yield strategists and engineers who work directly with publishers. Freestar has driven nearly $1 billion in revenue for publishers over the past decade and manages premium publishers across desktop, mobile and in-app environments.