ESCONDIDO, CA, August 19, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Meghan Barden has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Ms. Barden has established herself as a prominent leader in the rapidly evolving retail media sector. Born and raised in San Diego, she has leveraged her deep roots in California and her extensive professional experience to drive innovation and growth within the digital marketing landscape. In 2024, Ms. Barden assumed the role of director of global retail media and services at Rithum. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing the go-to-market strategy and crafting compelling storylines to position the company at the forefront of retail media.

In her role, Ms. Barden manages a team of 35 professionals specializing in retail media and digital marketing, including five direct reports. Her team operates as an internal agency, executing campaigns and providing expertise on both Rithum's platform and the broader retail media ecosystem. A key aspect of her responsibilities also involves cultivating strategic partnerships with major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, eBay and TikTok, as well as Google. Ms. Barden also prioritizes effective team management to ensure clients receive exceptional service through proactive engagement, business reviews and joint planning initiatives. Moreover, she remains vigilant about industry trends, regularly proposing product updates to engineering and product teams while engaging with C-suite executives and high-level clients.

Among Ms. Barden's most significant achievements at Rithum was the successful completion of a business case for TikTok expansion. This initiative led to the launch of a new feature within Rithum's creator API, connecting brands with curators who are also content creators on TikTok. The API leverages algorithmic matching based on creator data, such as target audience and product promotion metrics, to facilitate business opportunities and enable the creation of custom ads on TikTok.

Before joining Rithum, Ms. Barden served in several leadership roles at Petco. As a director of retail media account management and sales from 2023 to 2024, she oversaw account management operations for the company's retail media network, which included more than 100 brands advertising across digital channels and in-store activations. Previously, she served as a senior manager of retail media strategy and media planning from 2022 to 2023. Ms. Barden's tenure began in 2021 as a senior marketing operations manager.

Ms. Barden worked for PACIFIC in San Diego from 2018 to 2021, where she excelled as the director of operations and client services. Her earlier experience included serving as a group account director at Rhythm Agency between 2017 and 2018, following her appointment as account director in 2014. Among other positions, Ms. Barden's entry in the industry began at Universal McCann in Los Angeles in 2008 as an assistant media planner.

A graduate of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ms. Barden received a Bachelor of Science in advertising and public relations in 2007. She also obtained several certifications through Walmart Connect, including sponsored videos certification, ad certification in brand shop and shelf, ad certification in Walmart DSP, retail media certification and sponsored brands certification. Moreover, Ms. Barden earned an executive women in leadership master's certification from the SC Johnson School of Business at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 2021.

Ms. Barden has been an active member of Women in Retail Media Collective since 2025. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is dedicated to civic engagement. Since 2022, she has served as the event chair for the Rady Children's Hospital Auxiliary, where she leads fundraising initiatives that support pediatric health care services throughout Southern California. She also volunteers with the Children's Hospital of Orange County. Additionally, Ms. Barden is actively involved with her son's school, volunteering time toward educational enrichment activities.

Throughout her nearly two-decade career, Ms. Barden has become recognized for her expertise in retail media strategy development, people management within agency-adjacent environments, and global leadership across the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. Her adaptability across time zones and commitment to servant leadership have distinguished her among peers.

Ms. Barden attributes much of her success to the influence of her mother as well as the professional connections she has cultivated throughout her career, particularly among women mentors and colleagues who have inspired her journey. Looking ahead, she intends to continue advancing within the retail media industry, leading strategic initiatives for her team while aspiring toward executive leadership roles within technology-driven organizations or startup environments. Ms. Barden also remains committed to mentorship.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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