A 23-year veteran of nearly every aspect of
Nielsen's business, Rao will take the global leader in audience
measurement, data and analytics into the future
David Kenny to
become Executive Chairman
NEW
YORK, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen,
the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics,
announced today that Karthik Rao has been named CEO, effective
immediately. David Kenny, who
has served as CEO since 2018, will assume the role of Executive
Chairman.
"Nielsen has been my home for most of my career, and I could not
be more excited for this new opportunity," said Rao.
"Providing our client partners, the ad industry, and content
creators of all types, the most accurate information possible is
our singular goal. Nielsen invented measurement a century
ago. In that time, the way audiences consume content has
fundamentally shifted many times over, and we are committed to
continuing to partner with our customers to lead that change.
I am fortunate to work alongside the best in the business, around
the world, as we address unprecedented times of transition in our
business. Together with our talented employees, I look
forward to positioning Nielsen for the next century and
beyond."
David Kenny said: "This is an
exciting day for Nielsen and for me. I have been fortunate to
lead this company through some extraordinary times in the past five
years, working alongside Karthik for much of it. As I
transition to my new role and my operating responsibilities come to
an end, I hand over leadership to someone with extensive experience
in knowing what Nielsen does best, backed by the skills and
understanding to position the company for a vibrant future.
He has my complete support and I wish him, and everyone at Nielsen,
nothing but tremendous success."
Nielsen is backed by Elliott Investment Management L.P.
("Elliott"), and Brookfield Business Partners L.P., together with
institutional partners (collectively "Brookfield").
Since early 2023, Rao has served as CEO of Nielsen's Audience
Measurement business, responsible for driving and evolving
Nielsen's audience measurement in the midst of unprecedented
disruption and transition. His primary focus has been on enabling a
currency across all media distribution and consumption models
globally.
Prior to being named CEO of the audience measurement business,
Rao served as Nielsen's Chief Operating Officer. Before that he was
the CEO of Nielsen Portfolio, leading the fully independent
division comprising Nielsen Entertainment, Nielsen Gracenote,
Nielsen Brandbank and the Nielsen Telecom businesses across all
global markets.
David Kerko, Head of Private
Equity at Elliott, said: ""We have spent the past five years
engaged with Nielsen, and even more closely since the acquisition
nearly a year ago. We have seen great progress already, and we want
to thank David for all he has done to contribute to that success.
Karthik is now the right leader for Nielsen, which is well
positioned to evolve with and support the media ecosystem as it
undergoes a period of dramatic change. Karthik's expansive industry
experience, deep client relationships, and proven track record make
him ideally suited to manage this evolution and make Nielsen's
value stronger than ever."
About Nielsen
Nielsen shapes the world's media and
content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and
analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors
across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with
independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and
engage with their audiences—now and into the future. Nielsen
operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at
www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (Twitter,
LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram).
About Elliott
Elliott Investment Management L.P.
manages approximately $59.2 billion
of assets as of June 30, 2023.
Founded in 1977, it is one of the oldest funds under continuous
management. The Elliott funds' investors include pension plans,
sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, funds-of-funds,
high net worth individuals and families, and employees of the firm.
For more information, please refer to the Elliott website at
www.elliottmgmt.com.
About Brookfield Business Partners
Brookfield Business
Partners is a global business services and industrials company
focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that
provide essential products and services and benefit from a strong
competitive position. Investors have flexibility to invest in our
company either through Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE: BBUC)
(TSX: BBUC), a corporation, or Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
(NYSE: BBU) (TSX: BBU.UN), a limited partnership. For more
information, please visit https://bbu.brookfield.com.
Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of
Brookfield Asset Management's Private Equity Group. Brookfield
Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with
over $850 billion of assets under
management. More information is available at
www.brookfield.com.
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SOURCE Nielsen