Sixteen-year Nielsen veteran Mitch Barns will become CEO of the company in 2014, succeeding David Calhoun, who will become executive chairman of Nielsen’s board of directors. James M. Kilts, the current chairman, will remain a company director after leaving the chairman post.
Dave Thomas, a long-time Nielsen Co. executive who helped cable networks develop the kind of research data that have made them a bigger part of the TV ratings business than broadcast networks, is stepping down next month and will be replaced by another long-time Nielsen executive, Mitch Barns, whom some see as a potential heir to Nielsen chief David Calhoun.
