De Meel Calls 'Cut' As VNU Plans Exodus

VNU has announced that Rob de Meel will leave on September 1, 2005 after a career of 27 years with the group. De Meel is Senior VP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, a position he has held since 2002. The decision is linked to the relocation of several corporate functions from Haarlem to New York.

Koen van Zijl, currently VP, Media Relations reporting to de Meel, will hand over his responsibilities to NYC-based Will Thoretz, previously head of communications for the VNU Marketing Information group, as of June 1st.

The relocation was announced last year (DRNO ). VNU says it will recruit a new US-based Head of Investor Relations, given the increasing importance of its operations there, the increasing size of its US shareholder base and a possible US listing of its shares.

CFO Rob Ruijter praised the contribution of de Meel, who he says 'played a significant role in the company's transformation from a local consumer-oriented publisher to an international information and media company, first as Corporate Treasurer and Investor Relations Officer and later as head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations'. His successor will be announced later in the year.

VNU's group web site is at www.vnu.com

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