Doug Leeds is a seasoned technology executive and entrepreneur with a track record of leading companies at the intersection of digital trust, content, and innovation. As the former CEO of Ask.com and IAC Publishing (Dotdash, Daily Beast, Dictionary.com, Citysearch, Ask.fm), Doug has driven transformative change across major digital platforms, scaling businesses to hundreds of millions of users while navigating the evolving challenges of online safety, trust, and responsibility.

Doug’s leadership at Ask.fm stands as a defining moment in digital trust. After acquiring the platform in the wake of global controversy over cyberbullying and extremist recruitment, he spearheaded a top-down overhaul—implementing industry-first safety measures, forging partnerships with law enforcement, and prioritizing trust over growth. His experience reinforced the critical need for systemic solutions to online harm—lessons that continue to shape his advocacy for responsible digital governance today.

Earlier in his career, Doug founded the first trust and safety team overseeing search advertising, setting industry standards for balancing user protection with commercial success. He also served as Vice President of Product Justice & Associate General Counsel at Yahoo!, where he was responsible for all product legal advice across Yahoo’s global portfolio.

Currently, Doug is a Lecturer at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where he teaches Creativity & Leadership and Leadership by Persuasion, courses that challenge students to practice real-world leadership and strategic decision-making to drive meaningful impact. He is also working to develop and launch Really Simple Licensing (RSL), a global open standard for content licensing that enables a fair and efficient digital ecosystem for web publishers and AI companies.

Doug holds a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. with high honors from UC Berkeley.

‍