The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), which describes itself as the leading non-profit self-regulatory association dedicated to responsible data collection and its use for digital advertising, announced the appointment of Leigh Freund as the association’s new president and CEO. Freund comes to NAI after an eleven-year career at AOL Inc., where she most recently served as vice president & chief counsel for global public policy. Freund succeeds Marc Groman, who recently announced his departure from NAI to pursue other opportunities.

In her most recent position at AOL, Freund led AOL’s public policy efforts and was a leading voice on global digital and technology policy. Prior to that role, she led the AOL Advertising legal team and worked with AOL’s privacy team to promote and develop responsible use and collection of data, and ensure compliance with the industry’s self-regulatory programs. Before joining AOL in 2004, she worked at K&L Gates and on Capitol Hill with Rep.Fred Upton from her home state of Michigan.

Founded in 2000, the not-for-profit, D.C.-based Network Advertising Initiative states that it is the only membership organization comprised exclusively of third-party digital advertising companies. Almost every Internet ad served in the United States involves the technology of one or more of the NAI’s approximately 100 member companies, “who provide the infrastructure for the Interest-based advertising that enables a thriving and diverse market of ad-supported free content and services. The NAI’s role is to help promote consumer privacy and trust in this market by creating and enforcing high standards for responsible data collection and use practices online and in mobile environments among its members.”