Nielsen has selected a Chief Solutions Officer of Digital Product, and it is an individual who most recently served as EVP/Managing Director at Publicis Groupe.
Taking the post at the audience measurement, data and consumer analytics giant is Akhil Parekh.
It is a newly created role, one in which Parekh will be responsible for expanding Nielsen’s value proposition to the advertising ecosystem through new digital products and enhancements. He will oversee the teams focused on Nielsen’s planning and ads products, as well as strategic partnerships.
Parekh will partner with Deirdre Thomas, Nielsen’s Chief Product Officer for Audience Measurement, who will continue to lead product strategy for Nielsen’s content solutions and existing ratings and reporting teams.
“Nielsen has persisted as the leader in the audience measurement in the advertising ecosystem, and it’s an honor to continue the innovation that will unlock future growth for the business in the digital space,” Parekh said.
Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao commented, “As we continue to evolve with the industry and focus our efforts on streaming and our convergent TV strategy, we must continue to make strategic investments in innovation. Akhil will play a critical role in helping develop the products and strategies our clients need to succeed in the advertising ecosystem. I’m so excited for our future and feel confident that the new additions to our team will help us achieve our vision.”
Parekh spent 20 months at Publicis Groupe, and before that was SVP/Product Management for Converged TV at Mediaocean, a role he held for 2 1/2 years. Prior posts include serving in a similar role for 4C Insights (acquired by Mediaocean), and in a business development and data and analytics role at Rovi Corporation.
