Jess Alderson Becomes ODA’s First Female Chair

The board of the Online Dating Association (ODA) has announced that it has appointed a new chair. Jessica Alderson, CEO & Co-Founder of So Syncd, has taken over the role with immediate effect. 

Before founding the So Syncd dating app, Jessica was the Head of Research at Workthere and an Equity Research Analyst at Morgan Stanley. She also played a key role in the development of the UK Women in Tech team.

Morgan Cauvin, Head of Government Relations & Policy EMEA of Match Group, will move to the Deputy Chair role after having held the position of Chair since February 2021.

“I am honoured to be appointed as Chair of the ODA. Morgan has made a significant contribution during his tenure, and I am excited to continue building on his work”, said Jessica Alderson, ODA Chair.

“The world of online dating has grown tremendously in recent years, and we are starting to see major changes in the regulatory landscape. It’s now more important than ever that we work together to promote fair regulation that protects the safety of consumers and promotes industry innovation. The ODA is the leading voice in this ever-evolving space, and I look forward to working with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that the online dating industry continues to thrive”, she added.

Morgan Cauvin, Deputy Chair, welcomed Jess saying “We are thrilled to welcome Jess on board. She will bring significant experience and expertise of the online dating industry to the work of the ODA. I look forward to working with her and joining forces to promote the online dating industry to its ecosystem, and help shape the future of our industry”.

Dr Hannah Shimko, ODA Chief Executive said “I am thrilled Jess is our new Chair of the Online Dating Association. After a successful 10 years of ODA, Jess’s experience in building a successful dating app will be instrumental to the Association as we shape our strategy for the next ten years, including engagement on a breadth of legislation and regulation impacting the dating sector as well as new developments like the growth of social discovery services and generative AI”.

“I would also like to thank Morgan Cauvin for his years of service as Chair and the support he provided me when I first joined ODA. I very much look forward to working with Jess and Morgan going forward!”, Dr Shimko added.

The Online Dating Association is the industry association recognised internationally as the voice of the online dating sector. Members of the ODA, which are all dating services, coalesce around a set of standards which help make the sector a healthy place for both businesses and consumers.

There are over 300 member brands, including Hinge, Match.com, Tinder, MeetMe, Skout and a range of associate members. You can find out more about the ODA on its website here.