Nielsen Adds Diversity to Susan Whiting's Role

In the US, Nielsen's Vice Chair Susan Whiting has assumed additional responsibility for diversity - focussing on the firm's leadership, global workforce of more than 35,000, and external purchasing policies.

Nielsen has a program for embracing the talents of people from different backgrounds, and works with communities to ensure accurate representation of their consumer behavior through participation in its consumer panels.

In addition, the company operates a supplier diversity initiative, which builds alliances that provide minority and women-owned businesses with opportunities to grow their organizations.

At Nielsen, Whiting has initiated several diversity programs including employee resource groups and diversity-based recruitment. She has also played a part in forming Nielsen's external advisory councils, such as those for the African American, Asian Pacific American, and Hispanic and Latino communities.

CEO David Calhoun states, 'Understanding and promoting diversity is critical to our business because it enables us to better meet the needs of our clients. Susan's leadership of these efforts will allow us to assess and direct our efforts from the highest level of our company.'

Whiting joined Nielsen Media Research as a Management Trainee in 1978. She became President and COO in 2001, and within nine months, assumed the role of CEO as well as President. In 2007, she was appointed Chairman of Nielsen Media Research and EVP of The Nielsen Company, with marketing and product leadership responsibilities for all Nielsen business units.

She was subsequently named Vice Chair of Nielsen in November 2008, and became a member of brand protection specialist MarkMonitor's Board of Directors a year ago.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .

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

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