Ex-Nielsen Execs Join Initiative Analytics Team

New York-based communications agency Initiative has appointed former Nielsen execs Michael Heberle and Richard Sussman for senior roles in its recently restructured Performance Analytics team.

Initiative's range of services includes research, media planning and buying, digital communications solutions, and content creation and evaluation. The firm is part of ad and marketing services group IPG Mediabrands and employs more than 550 professionals in the US and Canada. Its worldwide network, based in London, comprises more than 2,500 executives working in 91 offices across 70 markets.

Heberle and Sussman both join with a background in consumer and media research, sales response modeling and digital analytics.

Most recently, Heberle was Nielsen's VP, Pricing Practice Area North America, responsible for the overall management of the division. Before joining Nielsen in 2008, he was Solutions Management Director at IRI, and held senior roles at Custom Research Inc, NPD Group and AOK Berlin.

Sussman previously served as VP and Practice Head of Nielsen's Digital Media & Entertainment arm, where he managed client relationships and led the cross-company development and commercialization of the firm's Digital KPI Forecasting product. Before this, he was Senior Director of Business Development for Nielsen Online.

Under the new structure Senior VP, Research Director John Mossawir will lead efforts from the agency's New York office, Heberle will be based in the agency's Chicago office, and Sussman will work from Los Angeles. The new recruits report to Bret Leece, EVP, Director Performance Analytics.

Nick Pahade, President & CEO of Initiative North America, comments: 'The additions of Michael and Richard demonstrate how committed Initiative is to placing analytics at the forefront of our process to ensure we maximize each client's marketing investment.'

Web site: www.initiative.com .

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