# Laura Schenkein
> Former Chief Financial Officer, The Trade Desk at the trade desk
- Profile type: Person
- Profile status: baseline
- Last updated: 2026-05-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Canonical URL: https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/laura-schenkein/
## Summary
Laura Schenkein served as chief financial officer of The Trade Desk from June 2023 until stepping down in August 2025, after more than a decade in finance leadership roles at the ad-tech company. She remained as a non-executive officer through year-end 2025 to assist the transition to her successor, Alex Kayyal.

## Profile facts

- Current title: Former Chief Financial Officer, The Trade Desk
- Current company: the trade desk (https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/the-trade-desk/)


## Career trajectory

- 2014-02-01 — Director, Financial Planning and Analysis at the-trade-desk
- 2017-01-01 — Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis at the-trade-desk
- 2019-01-01 — Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis at the-trade-desk
- 2023-02-01 — Executive Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis at the-trade-desk
- 2023-06-01 — Chief Financial Officer at the-trade-desk. Succeeded Blake Grayson; appointment disclosed via 8-K on May 10, 2023.
- 2025-08-21 — Stepped down as Chief Financial Officer; remained as non-executive officer through year-end 2025 at the-trade-desk. Succeeded by board member Alex Kayyal; transition support role through December 2025.

_This page uses only public-professional information (roles, public statements, SEC filings, and litigation public record). Reference to Schenkein's inclusion in The Trade Desk securities class action is limited to the public-record fact of the filing; no allegations are characterized as established._

## Key facts

- Appointed chief financial officer of The Trade Desk effective June 1, 2023, succeeding Blake Grayson. — The Trade Desk 8-K (May 10, 2023): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1671933/000115752323000805/a53397135.htm
- Joined The Trade Desk in February 2014 as director of financial planning and analysis, holding successive VP, SVP, and EVP FP&A roles before being elevated to CFO. — The Trade Desk 8-K (May 10, 2023): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1671933/000115752323000805/a53397135.htm
- Stepped down as CFO effective August 21, 2025; The Trade Desk named board member Alex Kayyal as successor, reporting to CEO Jeff Green. — The Trade Desk Investor Relations: https://investors.thetradedesk.com/news-and-events/news/news-details/2025/The-Trade-Desk-Announces-Alex-Kayyal-as-New-Chief-Financial-Officer/default.aspx
- Remained at The Trade Desk as a non-executive officer through year-end 2025 to support a seamless transition of CFO responsibilities to Kayyal. — CFO Dive: https://www.cfodive.com/news/tradedesk-names-new-cfo-warns-tariff-adtech/757238/
- Named as a defendant alongside The Trade Desk, CEO Jeff Green, and CSO Samantha Jacobson in a putative securities class action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 2:25-cv-01396) covering a class period of November 15, 2023 through August 8, 2025. — Cohen Milstein case docket: https://www.cohenmilstein.com/case-study/the-trade-desk-inc-securities-litigation/


## Related

- the trade desk (Former CFO (2023–2025); long-tenured finance leader) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/the-trade-desk/
- alex kayyal (Successor as Trade Desk CFO (effective August 21, 2025)) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/alex-kayyal/
- jeff green (Reported to as Trade Desk CEO during CFO tenure) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/jeff-green/


## External coverage

- 2025-08-07 — The Trade Desk Investor Relations: The Trade Desk Announces Alex Kayyal as New Chief Financial Officer (https://investors.thetradedesk.com/news-and-events/news/news-details/2025/The-Trade-Desk-Announces-Alex-Kayyal-as-New-Chief-Financial-Officer/default.aspx)
- 2025-08-08 — CFO Dive: The Trade Desk names new CFO, warns of tariff disruption (https://www.cfodive.com/news/tradedesk-names-new-cfo-warns-tariff-adtech/757238/)
- 2023-05-10 — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: The Trade Desk 8-K — Chief Financial Officer Changes (Schenkein appointment) (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1671933/000115752323000805/a53397135.htm)

## Profile
Schenkein's CFO tenure spanned a critical inflection at The Trade Desk: the rollout of the Kokai ad-buying platform, the company's S&P 500 inclusion, and the August 2025 quarter that triggered a sharp share-price decline alongside her departure announcement. She joined the company in 2014 when it was a private startup and rose through four FP&A title rungs before succeeding Blake Grayson as CFO. Her successor, Alex Kayyal, joined The Trade Desk's board in February 2025 from Lightspeed Venture Partners and stepped into the CFO seat the same month her exit was announced.

## Tags

- cfo
- the-trade-desk
- ad-tech-finance
- executive-transition

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