PulsePoint’s Programmatic Trader Hall of Fame: Shawna Judd

The PulsePoint Trader Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who continuously advance programmatic healthcare advertising. Our inductees are skilled and dedicated traders who demonstrate their expertise using PulsePoint’s Life platform. With their data analysis skills and unrivaled programmatic strategy, our inductees ensure that lifesaving medications reach healthcare professionals and patients precisely at the right moments to drive positive outcomes.

PulsePoint is excited to induct Shawna Judd, Director of Programmatic at Adaptive Media, into the Trader Hall of Fame.

Read this feature article to learn more about Shawna’s path to programmatic, career advice, and interests outside of work.

Shawna’s path to programmatic advertising

Shawna, a Minnesota native, says her path into programmatic advertising wasn’t exactly linear. She graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in advertising at a time when “programmatic advertising was really not an offering yet,” learning more about traditional media like billboards and print than the technology-driven work she does today.

Her career took a pivotal turn in her second job out of college, when she joined a company focused on mobile user acquisition. That role helped catapult her into the emerging real-time bidding space around 2012 when “it was the buzzword everyone was talking about,” and she found herself among the industry’s early traders.

Since then, Shawna has intentionally stayed within the programmatic space, saying, “I love being hands-on in platforms,” and has sought opportunities to work across as many platforms and verticals as possible, from pharmaceuticals and automotive to healthcare, entertainment, and retail media.

Today, she embraces the variety of agency life, noting that while it’s “not for everyone, I really enjoy working with multiple clients and having to strategically think differently throughout the day.”

Shawna’s favorite parts of programmatic buying

Shawna says that what she enjoys most about her role in programmatic is staying deeply hands-on, whether that means working directly in platforms, pacing in Excel, or optimizing campaigns.

She also enjoys the creative side of programmatic, noting that with so many targeting options, “it’s fun to customize something and see the direct impact.”

While the work varies significantly from client to client, that constant variation is part of what keeps her engaged and loving her job.

Shawna’s advice for newcomers to programmatic advertising

When asked what advice she would give to someone just starting out in programmatic, Shawna emphasized the importance of understanding the full programmatic process, including strategy, ad-ops, planning, and trading.

“Understanding all parts of that full-funnel approach, from how something is planned to how it’s built and executed, really helps you think the way a client would,” Shawna explained.

She also encourages newcomers to “absorb as much as you can from others around you” and to spend time digging into different programmatic platforms.

While she acknowledges the growing role of AI and algorithms in programmatic, she stresses the importance of still learning the fundamentals.

“There’s a lot of AI and algorithms that are great and help us move faster, but knowing the why and how everything works and the nuances of a brand is really valuable,” she said. “If AI did go away, could you do it yourself and not just be reliant on it?”

The best professional advice Shawna has ever received

In addition to her advice for newcomers, we asked Shawna about the best advice she’s ever received, to which she emphasized the importance of self-advocacy.

“The best advocate for yourself is you. If you don’t know something, people generally aren’t going to wait around to give you that answer; you need to ask and get the clarity you need by being curious,” she said.

She also said that self-advocacy comes into play for those looking to level up in their careers.

“It can be really awkward and uncomfortable to talk about yourself,” she acknowledged, “but you’re your best advocate.” By talking openly about wins and impact, she believes professionals can ensure their contributions don’t go unnoticed.

Shawna’s experience with PulsePoint

Shawna said her favorite thing about PulsePoint is the people. “I love working with your team … they are some of the best people to work with.”

She said they are down to earth, easy to communicate with, and genuinely enjoyable to collaborate with. She also noted that even when requests require fast turnarounds, the PulsePoint team is always willing to lean in and help.

“We never refer to your team as the vendor reps that never get back to us or are a pain to work with,” she said. “They’re always so great to work with.”

From a product perspective, Shawna also appreciates how intuitive the PulsePoint platform is, sharing that when feedback is provided it is often reflected in new iterations that make the platform even easier to use.
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As far as her favorite platform features, she said there are three that come to mind: the bulk editing tool, creative scheduling functionality, and our robust media planner.

“Not all DSPs have that robust planner, and clients really like to see all of those details,” Shawna said.

Oh, and, Shawna also gave a nod to Milkshake, PulsePoint’s beloved mascot who is present throughout the Life platform.

Shawna’s interests outside of work

Beyond diving into platforms and spreadsheets, Shawna said much of her personal time is centered on family. She is a mom of two and during Minnesota’s short summer season, her family also participates in a competitive water ski show team. This is a tradition passed down through her husband’s family that, as she put it, is “very Midwest.”

The entire family is involved: Her husband skis barefoot, her daughter performs tricks riding on his shoulders, and Shawna and her son manage the music and sound effects for the shows.

“We get pretty decent crowds. A few hundred people come and watch us,” she said, adding that returning to the sport as a family now that their children are older has been really fun.

Please join me in extending a well-deserved congratulations to Shawna, the February 2026 inductee into the PulsePoint Trader Hall of Fame.