Criteo S.A. announced on October 28, 2026, that it has appointed Jianchang "JC" Mao to its Board of Directors to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Edmond Mesrobian. Mr. Mesrobian resigned from the Board and its Compensation Committee effective immediately, citing no disagreements with the company regarding operations or policies. Mr. Mao’s appointment is also effective October 28, 2026.
Mr. Mao is designated as an independent director in accordance with Nasdaq and SEC rules. He is described as a seasoned technology executive and investor with more than 30 years of experience in artificial intelligence, digital advertising, and search. His career includes over 20 years leading global research, product, and engineering organizations. He currently serves as a General Partner and Distinguished Fellow at Fellows Fund, an investment firm focused on AI-native companies.
Previously, Mr. Mao served as Vice President of Engineering for Google Assistant, where he led a global organization responsible for foundational AI technologies, including natural language processing and large language models. He also spent nine years at Microsoft, most recently as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Microsoft Advertising Product and Engineering. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Yahoo! and Verity and began his career as a researcher at IBM’s Almaden Research Center.
The filing notes that Mr. Mao holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Michigan State University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He will receive compensation in accordance with Criteo’s standard independent director program and has entered into the company’s standard indemnification agreement.
The appointment is relevant to the company's ongoing plans, as Mr. Mao is expected to be appointed to the Board of Directors of Criteo Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Criteo, at the effective time of the U.S. Merger. This merger involves the redomiciliation of Criteo from Luxembourg to the United States. The filing also references the company’s Annual Proxy Statement filed on May 8, 2026, for details regarding director compensation.
