Nielsen Hires New MD for TV Client Services

In the US, Nielsen has appointed media research veteran Ira Sussman as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of National Television Client Services; replacing Catherine Herkovic who has held the role since 2007.

Herkovic, who has worked for Nielsen for more than 26 years, has now taken on a new role, overseeing quality initiatives in the firm's Media business.

For the past six years, Sussman has worked as SVP of Research and Insights at the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (CAB), where he was responsible for the development, review and execution of studies and insights emanating from the US ad supported TV marketplace.

During the prior nine years, he was EVP Research at Initiative Media, and before this he held senior research positions at Times Mirror Magazines, House of Seagram Media, Kenyon & Eckhardt, and Ogilvy & Mather.

Sussman is a former chair of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) media research committee, and the Media Ratings Council (MRC) TV committee, and he is currently a member of the steering committee for the Council of Research Excellence.

In his new role, he will report to Dave Thomas, President of Global Media Client Services.

Sara Erichson, President, Media Client Services, North America said of Sussman: 'He is one of few media research executives to have worked in agency, client and media organizations, providing a unique breadth and depth of experience.'

Additionally, the firm has made some changes to the structure of its Client Services arm, which it says have been implemented to drive greater collaboration in its relationships with all clients. New client solutions teams, headed by a dedicated Account Manager, will be formed for some of the 'most diversified' media company clients. Erichson herself will lead one of these client solutions teams.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .