Professional Role and Company Overview
Saad Uddin is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Native Touch, a mobile-first, omni-channel advertising technology company headquartered in Canada. He has held this position since the company’s founding in December 2010. Native Touch specializes in programmatic mobile advertising, leveraging an omnichannel, mobile-first approach to help brands and agencies across Canada navigate the digital advertising ecosystem, focusing on delivering seamless consumer engagement through mobile branding solutions integrated into broader advertising strategies.
In addition to Native Touch, Saad Uddin is also the CEO of Candy Digital (formerly Candy Banners), a digital creative production studio associated with Native Touch, reflecting his involvement in both technology and creative facets of digital advertising.
Under Uddin’s leadership, Native Touch has achieved steady growth with multiple office locations across Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. The company’s strategic acquisitions, such as Montreal-based M32 Connect (a technology firm specializing in data monetization for digital publishers and retailers) in early 2024 and Candy Banners in 2025, demonstrate ongoing expansion and diversification in Native Touch’s service offerings.
Expertise and Experience
Saad Uddin is an internet entrepreneur with extensive expertise spanning digital marketing, mobile advertising technology, and application development. His executive focus is on product and technology strategy that pushes innovation in mobile advertising and programmatic buying.
He is recognized as an experienced executive in ad tech, supporting internal teams and partners to succeed in the fast-evolving digital media space. With over 15 years in digital media, Uddin is positioned as an industry thought leader. He is also an active angel investor, indicating engagement beyond his immediate business ventures.
Notable Achievements and Recognition
- Native Touch was honored as a 2020 Global CEO Excellence Awards winner by CEO Monthly, specifically highlighting Saad Uddin as Canada’s Mobile Advertising CEO of the Year.
- Native Touch continues to gain industry recognition, notably by being featured in programmatic advertising discussions and digital marketing forums.
- Uddin is publicly visible as a commentator on digital retail and advertising trends in Canada, such as his November 2023 media appearance discussing Canadian holiday retail shopping patterns.
- He serves as a judge for industry awards like the Campaign Canada Agency of the Year Awards (2025), underlining his influence and reputation within the Canadian advertising sector.
Educational Background
Saad Uddin has pursued but not completed a degree in Computer Engineering at Concordia University (since 2006). His educational background complements his entrepreneurial and technological focus but is supplemented by hands-on experience in digital media and software development.
Industry Engagement and Thought Leadership
- Uddin actively participates in industry events, including being slated to speak at conferences such as the IAB Canada Business of Digital: Report on Data conference (December 2022).
- His media engagements and public commentary emphasize current and predictive trends in programmatic advertising and mobile marketing.
- As CEO, his leadership style involves supporting innovation within Native Touch and fostering partnerships aimed at maximizing data-driven advertising outcomes in the mobile ecosystem.
Company Mission and Market Position
Native Touch was founded with the vision that the emergence of the iPhone and mobile technology would fundamentally shift advertising. The firm maintains a strong commitment to mobile-first advertising, integrating data insights to enable marketers to engage the right consumers across all touchpoints. This positions the company at the forefront of the Canadian digital advertising landscape, particularly in mobile and programmatic ad technologies.
Summary: Saad Uddin’s profile illustrates a seasoned digital media entrepreneur and technology strategist specialized in mobile advertising and programmatic solutions. His leadership at Native Touch, highlighted by strategic acquisitions and industry recognition, anchors the company’s role as a market leader in mobile-focused omni-channel advertising in Canada. His dual CEO roles and angel investing underscore a broad engagement with the digital advertising ecosystem, while his public speaking and judging roles confirm his thought leadership within the sector.
