The ECDMA Council is the strategic heart and governing body of our Association. Comprised of five of the most accomplished leaders in the digital economy, the Council is entrusted with steering our organization’s direction, upholding the integrity of our charter, and ensuring we serve the evolving needs of our global members.
Membership on this Council is not merely a reflection of a successful career; it is the recognition of a career that has defined success for others. Each member is selected through a rigorous process that looks beyond titles to find tangible proof of transformative impact—from architecting strategies that generated unprecedented growth to pioneering new methodologies that have become industry standards.
This stewardship is most evident in the Council’s sole authority to approve ECDMA Senior Members, our Association’s highest distinction. By serving as the guardians of this process, the Council ensures that our standards for excellence remain absolute and that recognition is earned through proven, sustained, and peer-validated contributions.
The leaders below represent the pinnacle of the e-commerce and digital marketing profession. Their collective insight, strategic foresight, and unwavering commitment to our mission are the driving force behind the value and prestige of the ECDMA. We invite you to learn more about them.
Eugene Mischenko 🇦🇲
President, Founder
Eugene Mischenko is the Founder and President of the E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association (ECDMA), an international organization uniting over 700 leading professionals from around the world. With more than 20 years of executive experience across B2B, B2C, and B2B2C sectors, he has spearheaded digital transformation and e-commerce initiatives for global companies including METRO Cash & Carry, L’Occitane en Provence, Sanofi, and Sportmaster. Mischenko’s leadership has consistently delivered measurable business results. At METRO, he established and led the e-commerce division from inception, driving online sales to $500 million annually—representing 15% of total company turnover. At L’Occitane en Provence, he achieved a 60% year-over-year increase in e-commerce revenue. Across every organization, he has been a driving force for innovation, customer-centric strategy, and large-scale digital adoption. In addition to his executive roles, Eugene Mischenko serves as a Senior Lecturer at Russian-Armenian University, where he teaches master’s-level courses on Modern Problems of Marketing and E-Commerce Business. He is actively engaged in academic and professional development, having published more than 15 research papers and being regularly invited as a speaker at prominent conferences, including Oborot.ru, FinTech 360, and E-Commerce in Emerging Markets. His expertise and thought leadership are widely recognized. Mischenko has been featured in major international and industry media such as Business.com, News.ru, News.am, ValiantCEO.com, PowerCommerce.com, Retail-Insider.com, KP.ru, and TechBullion, among others. His contributions to the field have been acknowledged with multiple international awards, including the Platinum TITAN Business Award (Visionary of the Year), Elite Noble Award for Outstanding Achievement in Leadership, Cynopsis Standouts Q1 2024, and the title of Global Game Changer 2024 by Passion Vista. He is frequently invited to serve as a jury member for leading global industry awards, including the International Stevie Awards and Global Agency Awards. These achievements reflect his commitment to advancing the profession, fostering innovation, and supporting the next generation of digital leaders.
Leonid Gladilin 🇺🇸
Partner, Founder
Leonid Gladilin is a Co-Founder and Partner at the E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association (ECDMA), based in Charlotte, NC, USA. With more than 16 years of distinguished experience in Retail and E-Commerce, he has established himself as one of the foremost leaders in the industry. Leonid has been recognized among the Top Retail Experts 2025 in the United States by ReThink Retail (an official partner of NRF) and named to the Top 100 Retail Tech Influencers 2024 and 2025 by RTIH (UK), underscoring his international reputation. Leonid is frequently invited to serve as a judge for major industry awards, including the New York Advertising Awards, eCommerce.London, Stevie Business Awards, and the Independent Agencies Awards—further confirming his expertise and credibility within the global retail and marketing community. In addition to his executive and advisory roles, Leonid is the author of the Amazon bestseller “21 Psychology Hacks to Boost Your Sales: Proven Retail Strategies for Any Budget,” which has become a trusted resource for retail professionals worldwide. His insights and strategies continue to shape the evolution of retail and e-commerce, earning him recognition as a thought leader and influencer across the industry.
Tatiana Sokolova 🇰🇿
Tatiana Sokolova is a strategic digital leader at STADA Group, rounding out our Council’s leadership team. Renowned for her pioneering work in media mix optimization and omnichannel marketing, Tatiana has successfully implemented large-scale digital transformation initiatives spanning 11 countries across the Eurasia region. Her data-driven strategies have accelerated digital maturity and innovation for more than 120 brands, positioning her as a trailblazer in pharmaceutical and FMCG marketing. Tatiana’s expertise is widely recognized in both the professional community and the academic field. She is the architect of a proprietary media planning methodology for the Eurasian region, extensively documented and featured by the ECDMA Global Awards. Her career path includes high-impact roles at Yandex, Beeline, Traffic Isobar, Sanofi, and STADA, where she has consistently driven measurable improvements in brand performance and digital effectiveness. As an active thought leader, Tatiana regularly authors scientific articles and presents at major industry conferences—including the Digital & Ecomm EVN Conference (Armenia), Tashkent Digital Marketing Forum (Uzbekistan), Digital Discovery 3.0, and Kazakhstan Growth Forum—where she is sought after as a speaker and moderator on topics such as ideal media planning, consumer journey, and agency vs. in-house marketing. She has also served as a jury member for leading industry awards, including the Eplus International E+ Awards for Central Asia. Tatiana’s professional influence is amplified through her published materials and expert profiles on major platforms, and her contributions continue to set new standards for analytical rigor and innovation in digital marketing.
Alexey Leybov 🇺🇸
Alexey Leybov is the Director of Demand Generation at Cast AI, a leading Kubernetes cost-optimization and AI-infrastructure platform, based in Florida, USA. With more than 13 years of international experience in B2B SaaS, he has built a reputation as a growth leader specializing in demand generation, content marketing, and SEO. Throughout his career, Alexey has led marketing teams at global companies such as Semrush, Similarweb, and ManyPixels, consistently driving measurable growth by creating scalable marketing engines from scratch. His leadership has contributed to multimillion-dollar ARR growth, industry-standard certification programs, and highly successful global campaigns. Alexey’s expertise spans the full spectrum of go-to-market strategies, from product-led growth (PLG) to sales-led growth (SLG). He has built and optimized multi-channel demand engines that combine SEO, paid media, ABM, email, social, events, and partner marketing, ensuring seamless alignment across the funnel – from awareness to revenue. With a strong focus on data-driven decision-making, he continuously refines customer journeys and campaign strategies to maximize efficiency and impact. His work at Cast AI also extends to the fast-evolving field of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), where he is pioneering strategies to integrate large language models into marketing workflows and demand generation programs. In addition to his executive roles, Alexey is a co-author of more than eight digital marketing courses for Semrush Academy (300k+ students) and the author of a content marketing course for Skillfactory, helping thousands of professionals worldwide advance their marketing skills.
Alena Astravukh
Alena Astravukh is an internationally recognized SEO and digital marketing strategist with over nine years of experience, specializing in pioneering AI-driven strategies that position companies for global digital leadership. Alena is a winner of the prestigious Webby Award (hailed as the “Internet’s Oscar”), placing her work among industry giants. Her accomplishments are further recognized by a SILVER Stevie® Award in the personal category of “Marketing Executive of the Year,” alongside finalist honors at the US Search Awards and Content Marketing Awards, confirming her international acclaim. Her industry authority is confirmed by frequent invitations to serve as a judge for premier international competitions, including the New York Festivals AME Awards, and as an expert peer reviewer for the international scientific journal “Actual Research.” A respected thought leader, Alena has authored seven peer-reviewed scientific articles on SEO and AI. Her innovative mindset is further demonstrated by her patent for the SaaS product Backlink360, highlighting her contribution to developing new technologies in her field. As a Council Member of the E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association (ECDMA), an organization requiring outstanding, expert-vetted achievements for membership, Alena continues to shape the future of digital marketing as a globally recognized expert.