Penn Schoen Berland Names Divisional CEOs

WPP-owned market research and political polling specialist Penn Schoen Berland has named Curtis Freet and Jon Penn Chief Executive Officers in their respective units.

Founded in 1975, PSB provides market research-based consultancy services to help corporate, entertainment and political clients hone their messaging and communications strategies. The firm claims to have helped elect more than 30 presidents and prime ministers around the world, including Bill Clinton.

Freet will now oversee the firm's global Corporate and Political business, dividing his time between New York and Washington, DC; and Penn will oversee its global Media and Entertainment business, based in Los Angeles. Freet has been with PSB since 2005, most recently serving as President, US, before which he worked for Microsoft. Penn is founder and current President of the Media and Entertainment practice at PSB. Previously, he was a contributor and pollster for The Hollywood Reporter and served as Director of Internet Strategy for Hillary Clinton's successful US Senate campaign in 2000.

The pair will succeed Jay Leveton, who had been CEO since 2012, and will work closely with Michael Pettingill who has been named to dual roles as the firm's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. They will report to Chairman Donald Baer, who comments: 'A decade-long PSB leader, Curtis is well-versed in the firm's strengths, and he and I share a clear vision for its growth. I am confident he will build on PSB's record as an innovator in the sector. Jon has been a pioneer in entertainment polling and a critical partner to many Hollywood studios and executives in modernizing movie research, and I look forward to its continued growth under his stewardship'.

Web site: www.psbresearch.com .