Nielsen Promotes for COO and Vice Chair Roles

In the US, Nielsen has announced the appointment of Rick Kash as Vice Chair and Mitchell Habib as Chief Operating Officer. Both appointments are effective from January 1st 2012.

Kash moves from the role of Chairman of growth strategy consulting company The Cambridge Group, a Nielsen subsidiary which he founded, and will join CEO David Calhoun and fellow Vice Chair Susan Whiting in the Office of the Chief Executive.

Prior to The Cambridge Group, Kash co-founded a Nielsen CPG information system. He is also a member of the US Senate Business Forum; the Chairman of Genus Oncology, a research partnership with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute of Harvard; and the author of a book updating the rules of supply and demand.

David Calhoun says of Kash: 'Rick has dedicated his career to understanding consumer demand and helping clients use consumer demand as a business model to operate their companies and as a strategy to grow profitably. We look forward to his expanded role and contributions.'

Habib is promoted from leading Nielsen's Global Business Services organization -the primary delivery vehicle for all its data and measurement. Before Nielsen, he was CIO of Citigroup's North America Consumer Businesses, and before that CIO of Citigroup's North America Credit Cards Division. Habib has also held senior positions at Ernst & Young and several major divisions of General Electric during his 25-year career.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .