Nielsen Holdings plc has made what it calls “two significant hires” designed to support its plan to create two separate publicly traded companies later this year.
The first move sees the hiring of the President of the Global Online Business at a top broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products (MRO).
The second involves the hiring of a new CFO for Global Media.
Exiting Grainger for the CEO post at Global Connect is David Rawlinson.
Taking the CFO role is Linda Zukauckas, formerly the EVP/Deputy CFO at American Express. Zukauckas has been with Amex since 2011.
Each will join the company on February 3.
Rawlinson proved attractive to Nielsen for his “significant experience” running a digital business-to-business company, in addition to his “strong international background and a track record of driving growth.”
He becomes CEO at the time of separation of the two Nielsen units. The announcement serves as Nielsen’s official confirmation of when that will actually take place.
Rawlinson is no stranger to Nielsen, as he is currently a member of its Board of Directors. He’s been at Grainger since July 2012 and has held his current role since November 2015.
For those in Washington, D.C., Rawlinson is a familiar face to many. He served as a White House Fellow and in appointed positions for the George W. Bush and Obama Administrations. In the Bush Administration, Rawlinson was a leader of the outgoing transition. In the Obama Administration, he served as Senior Advisor for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council.
“In my time on the Board of Directors, I’ve been struck by Nielsen Global Connect’s technology, the focus on making client decision-making easier and the team’s unwavering commitment to integrity,” Rawlinson said. “Nielsen Global Connect has made tremendous progress in strengthening its operations and competitive position, and I believe that we can build upon this and further enhance our leadership position. I’m honored to become Chief Executive Officer during this important time and look forward to helping retailers and the consumer goods industry evolve into a more digital and more dynamic future.”
At the time of the separation, Linda will effectively remain CFO of Nielsen’s Global Media business.
“Both David and Linda bring a wealth of relevant and valuable experience to Nielsen,” CEO David Kenny said. “Both will have a great deal of impact on the current company and will have significant roles in the new companies moving forward. We are very excited that they have agreed to join us at this dynamic time for Nielsen.”
