Freestar Appoints Former Washington Post Executive John Ilacqua as Executive Vice President of Growth and Publisher Development
Ilacqua Joins Freestar to Further Accelerate Growth and Help Publishers Drive Meaningful Revenue
PHOENIX, March 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 (EVP) 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 John Ilacqua, EVP of Growth and Publisher Development at Freestar. “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.”
To learn more about Freestar’s team and offerings, visit: www.freestar.com.
ABOUT FREESTAR
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, AZ, 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.
Contact Information:
Alexis Roberts
Alexis.roberts@freestar.io
805-698-7681
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6519b6f-6c5d-46c6-b6c5-2fbeeb44a74d
John Ilaqua, SVP of Growth and Publisher Development, Freestar
Freestar Appoints John Ilacqua as Executive Vice President of Growth and Publisher Development
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