Viacom Hires Audience Science Leader

Broadcast and entertainment giant Viacom has appointed Julian Zilberbrand as EVP of Audience Science, effective two weeks from today.

Viacom's brands include Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, the UK's Channel 5 and Paramount Pictures, and its programmes reach a cumulative 3.4 billion television subscribers worldwide. Zilberbrand (pictured) will oversee three key areas in the data strategy division: Audience Onboarding and Segmentation; Advanced Analytics; and Digital Media Executions.

He joins from ZenithOptimedia, where he was EVP of Activation Standards, Insights and Technology, and before this was SVP and Global Digital Director of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Solutions at Starcom Mediavest Group. Earlier roles included product development and operations at Eyeblaster and Doubleclick.

He reports to Kern Schireson, EVP of Data Strategy and Consumer Intelligence, who comments: 'Viacom's dedication to remaining the leader in data science and strategy is evident in the speed at which we are developing new tools and solutions at this pivotal time in the industry. Julian is part of a growing list of world-class data talent to join us for the huge opportunities during this transformational time in media, and he offers his team a very special perspective informed by his visibility into the broad industry landscape'.

Viacom's proprietary data solutions include Viacom Vantage, a predictive engine; and Echo Social Graph, which measures the effectiveness of custom social media campaigns run by its advertising partners. The group of which Zilberbrand takes charge is responsible for building the group's data infrastructure, including pulling in, integrating and actioning data; drawing insights and actionable models and methods to support the Sales and Marketing teams; and making use of both 1st party and outside data sources to target promotional activity across platforms.

The group is online at www.viacom.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.