By Rose Velez-Smith, Chief Human Resources Officer & Nisim Tal, Chief Technology Officer, DoubleVerify
At DoubleVerify, innovation is not just about the technology we build; it is about the people who bring it to life. As automation transforms and streamlines the digital advertising industry, change can often seem unpredictable, but DV is investing in a future where every employee is empowered to grow, adapt, and lead.
In this conversation with Chief Human Resources Officer, Rose Velez-Smith and Chief Technology Officer Nisim Tal, they explore how HR and technology are working together to support a culture where innovation and learning go hand-in-hand.
As a company dedicated to making digital advertising better, innovation is embedded across the entire product development lifecycle, from product design and software development to testing, deployment, and continuous improvement. But the next wave of innovation isn’t only advancing technology — it is redefining roles, priorities, and how value is created.
As Rose explains, “the next wave of technology isn’t simply about adopting new tools, it’s about reimagining how we work. The real opportunity lies in freeing our people from repetitive tasks so they can focus on creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.”
Nisim illustrates this shift in mindset from a technology lens: “Technology is transforming not only our products but the way we operate. It’s accelerating our work, raising quality, and opening up entirely new ways of creating value.”
Although both acknowledge that some roles may disappear, a recurring theme emerged that roles are evolving and it will be critical for employees to continuously learn and build their skill sets.
“Many daily tasks will increasingly be automated", says Rose. “But humans will be critical in guiding, interpreting, and adding judgment. Technology will reshape the what, but people will define the why and how.”
Nisim sees this firsthand across the organization. Technology is “reshaping roles across the company. Not necessarily by replacing them, but by shifting the focus of what people do every day. Tasks that used to be repetitive or manual are now automated, which frees our teams to focus on creativity and higher-level problem solving.”
This evolution is being seen across every function of the business, but Nisim highlights one example in particular: “In our Quality Assurance department, thousands of test cases that once required manual clicking are now handled by automation. The QA teams have pivoted from ‘checkers’ to ‘designers of quality’, making sure our systems are robust, resilient, and aligned to client needs. Their daily responsibilities have shifted, but in a way that makes their work more valuable.”
At DV, learning is seen as an essential part of innovation. Both leaders agree that upskilling is not a one-off initiative, but a long-term strategy.
“We start from the assumption that everyone is a beginner, and that’s actually an advantage,” Nisim says. “It creates a level playing field where the question isn’t ‘who already knows this,’ but ‘how fast can we learn together.’”
DV has internal forums to support this culture of distributed learning. “Representatives from every engineering team go deep on the tools, then bring that knowledge back in a train-the-trainer model,” Nisim explains. “It’s about embedding techfluency into the DNA of the company.”
Rose adds that successful training requires both data and dialogue. “We use assessments, surveys, and performance analytics to see where gaps exist. But we also need conversations: managers asking employees where they feel confident, where they’re hesitant, and what skills they aspire to learn.”
Acknowledging that technological change can be intimidating, Rose and Nisim emphasize the importance of psychological safety.
“The biggest hurdle is mindset,” says Rose. “It’s less about the tool itself and more about confidence, psychological safety, trust and creating new habits. When employees understand that support is available and that learning — not perfection — is expected, they are much more open to try new things, experiment and embrace change.”
Nisim adds that leaders play an important role here. “I openly share my own missteps, because it shows that stumbling is part of learning, not a failure.”
Hackathons are one way DV turns learning into action. “They’re a powerful way for teams to practise new technologies in a creative, low-stakes environment,” Nisim explains. “Instead of facing pressure against a delivery date, they get to experiment on projects they’re passionate about. Some of our best innovation stories started that way.”
For teams looking to stay ahead, both leaders agree that curiosity and collaboration are essential. “Stay curious, stay experimental, and be open-minded,” Rose advises. “Technology changes too fast for anyone to be an ‘expert’ forever, so the winning mindset is one of continuous learning.”
“Change and growth are not opposites,” Nisim adds. “When managed well, they reinforce each other.”
The pace of transformation in digital advertising is not slowing down. At DV, that is seen as an opportunity, not a threat.
By embedding a culture of continuous learning, supporting employees through change, and championing collaboration across teams, DoubleVerify’s leaders are ensuring the company’s people are ready — not just for the next wave of innovation, but to help define it.