Nielsen Names Dwight Barns CEO, Succeeding David Calhoun - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Nielsen Holdings N.V.(NLSN), a provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, announced that effective January 1, 2014, Dwight Barns will succeed David Calhoun as Chief Executive Officer.

Barns has a 28-years of marketing experiences, and has spent the last 16 years at Nielsen building broad experience leading the Company's core businesses globally, regionally and in the U.S. Calhoun will become Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, at which time Nielsen's current Chairman of the Board, James Kilts, will step down as Chairman, but will remain a Board Member.

Barns joined Nielsen in 1997. He is currently President, Global Client Service, overseeing $5.5 billion in revenue and leading the efforts of Nielsen's Watch and Buy client service teams worldwide. Earlier, Barns served as President of Nielsen's U.S. television ratings business, where he oversaw the transformation of the unit's client service model and architected the expansion and enhancement of its local ratings service. He also served as President, Greater China - where he led the transition to a fast-growing, stand-alone region - as well as global President of Nielsen's BASES and Analytic Consulting businesses. Barns began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he spent 12 years in marketing research and brand management.

Calhoun has served as Nielsen's Chief Executive Officer since joining the Company in August 2006, following a 26-year career with GE. In his new capacity as Executive Chairman of the Board, Calhoun will remain actively engaged in the business, providing counsel to Barns and other executives into 2015.