10 Key Industry Figures Announced for Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026

Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026 has announced a lineup of executives and thought-leaders who will tackle the growing complexities facing iGaming affiliation. Attendees can expect sessions on compliance, the impact of AI on search, stricter advertising measures, and how affiliates can sustain growth as third-party tracking declines.

How Affiliate Leaders Summit Is Confronting Industry Shifts

The event’s programming emphasises direct involvement from executives and operational leaders who work at the intersection of technology, compliance, and digital marketing. Affiliation now faces challenges from both evolving consumer habits and increased regulatory scrutiny, as well as transformations in content strategy and traffic acquisition models. The Affiliate Leaders Summit is designed to bring together those with practical, tested responses.

Influential Voices and Their Panels at Affiliate Leaders Summit

Content’s Strategic Value: Adam Bielinski and Keith Geary

Adam Bielinski, CEO & Co-Owner at iGaming Nuts, joins the panel “Content Evolution: Why Content is the Most Undervalued Asset in iGaming Affiliation.” He will discuss the shift from long-form to short-form content, the influence of social channels, and why treating content as a strategic, commercial asset is vital for affiliates. Bielinski’s perspective reflects over a decade in affiliate and product leadership roles at iGaming Nuts, Mahalo Media, and Better Collective.

Keith Geary, Director of Marketing at Mr Gamble, will also contribute to the same panel. Drawing on experience at Playtech, Camelot, and Game Lounge, Geary will assess new brand-led content approaches and the commercial impact of evolving digital strategies.

Facing Compliance and Ad Restrictions: Leanne Muleba and Vadim Aidlin

Leanne Muleba, COO at Matching Visions, and Vadim Aidlin, CEO at Mamuta Media, are set to feature in “Ad Crackdowns = Affiliate Minefield.” Muleba is expected to analyse how stricter advertising constraints, disclosure demands, and platform enforcement impact affiliate compliance and conversion rates. As someone who has managed content, product and operations at Matching Visions, her focus is operational impact and risk mitigation.

Aidlin will examine the commercial consequences of new advertising rules and heightened platform enforcement. With over two decades across affiliate marketing, SEO and digital acquisition (including overseeing SEO for 25+ brands at Betsson Group), Aidlin aims to provide a grounded assessment of acquisition threats in regulated markets.

Future-Proofing Affiliate Strategy: Milorad Matejic and Pierre Cadena

Milorad Matejic, COO at Gentoo Media, will present on the panel "Future Shock: The Predictions Affiliates Don’t Want to Hear." This session will dissect the impact of shrinking sustainable traffic sources, growing platform control, and the diminishing role of traditional CPA models. Matejic’s operational and SEO experience—previously with Gaming Innovation Group—enables him to speak to both structural and tactical changes affiliates face.

Pierre Cadena, COO of Catena Media and alumnus of Caesars Interactive, WarnerMedia and Fox Entertainment, brings insight into regulatory and technology-driven pressure points. His focus is helping affiliate businesses build resilience as acquisition channels and distribution undergo further fragmentation.

Preparing for the Next Billion-Dollar Opportunities in Affiliation

Elaine Gardiner, Managing Director at TAG Media, curates two sessions: “The Future of Affiliation: Where Is the Next Billion Dollar Opportunity?” and “Affiliate Leadership 2030: The Strategies Defining the Next Decade.” Gardiner’s agenda spans AI in search, the creator economy, new verticals, and performance models set to shape long-term affiliate growth. Her prior posts at Betsson, Gaming Innovation Group, and Global Gaming inform a broad perspective on sustainable commercial models and the enabling role of technology.

Chris Duncan, COO of Spotlight Sports Group, joins the search for new growth frontiers in “The Future of Affiliation” session. Duncan, who has worked across publishing and digital transformation at Bauer Media Group and Times Newspapers, as well as on media monetization strategy, will address emerging markets and content formats capable of supporting enduring revenue.

Measurement After Cookies: Will Barfield’s Data Perspective

Will Barfield, Head of Fan Reach at Better Collective, leads "Measurement in 2027: the cookie decline and the first-party data crisis." Barfield’s remit at Better Collective covers programmatic strategy and first-party audience data. With the collapse of third-party tracking, Barfield will address how affiliates can adapt attribution models, leverage remaining ad technologies, and prove performance to operators.

Leadership for the Next Decade: Jonathan Edelshaim’s View

Jonathan Edelshaim, CEO of Natural Intelligence, speaks at “Affiliate Leadership 2030,” where attendees will be encouraged to invest in technology and adapt leadership approaches to thrive amid changing consumer behaviour and digital disruption. Edelshaim’s experience running a large-scale performance business during a period of search and AI transformation adds urgency to the leadership agenda.

What Partners and Attendees Can Expect

Industry participants can expect discussion of:

• The direct commercial impact of tighter advertising rules, especially for regulated markets
• The risks posed by reliance on shrinking traffic sources and changing measurement tools
• The shift to first-party data and new performance attribution frameworks
• New roles for content strategy as a driver of growth rather than just acquisition
• Practical ways to adapt affiliate operations and compliance

"Content has evolved from a marketing function to a genuine commercial growth asset," said Adam Bielinski, CEO & Co-Owner at iGaming Nuts.

"Affiliates must prepare for shrinking efficiency in classic acquisition channels." – Milorad Matejic, COO, Gentoo Media

The 2026 agenda centres on practical strategy, compliance, and evidence-based predictions. Attendees will hear from veteran executives who have not only witnessed substantial industry change, but actively led digital and operational transformation.

For more on how topics like compliance risk and data strategy affect the sector, see regulation and b2b coverage.

The Role of Thought Leadership at Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026

While affiliate events often cover macro trends, the Affiliate Leaders Summit profiles working leaders responsible for both strategic and operational outcomes. Across three days, the conference aims for a cross-section of perspectives: from technology implementation to regulatory adaptations and new commercial models. The aim is not just to forecast, but to provide attendees with actionable strategies to survive and compete as the pace of regulatory and market change increases.