NBCU Taps Abcarian To Lead Measurement & Impact

Today, NBCUniversal’s Advertising & Partnerships division announced the appointment of Kelly Abcarian to the role of executive vice president, measurement & impact. She will spearhead the company’s rapidly accelerating cross-platform and full-funnel measurement capabilities, leading innovation from impressions to impact at a local, national and global level across NBCUniversal’s One Platform.

Abcarian joins the NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships team following the company’s ONE21 commitment to expand technology and data-driven capabilities for its clients and propel the industry forward. She reports into Krishan Bhatia, president and chief business officer, NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships, and will collaborate closely with the division’s sales, planning, strategy, partnerships and ad platforms and operations functions to build on the company’s position as a leading media and technology company to set a new standard for the future of all-screen measurement, advanced advertising solutions, and data-driven insights.

“Kelly Abcarian’s addition to our team represents a step change for our company and the industry, when it comes to the future of cross-platform measurement and data innovation,” said Krishan Bhatia, president and chief business officer, NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships. “Consumers have established an all-screen future and we’re doubling down on our position to usher in the next era of measurement. Kelly has decades-long measurement and advanced advertising experience, along with deep connections within the media industry and a partnership track record across CTV/OTT platforms.”

As consumer viewing habits continue to shift toward streaming and CTV, Abcarian is tasked with advancing measurement solutions that reflect the all-screen future viewers have created, while providing advertisers with new opportunities to reach and target their key audiences. Additionally, she now leads the company’s attribution and ROI capabilities including Total Investment Impact (TII), which focuses on measuring and delivering what matters most to advertisers.

NBCU said Abcarian will also play an important role in the growth and development of the company’s data strategy, including efforts such as NBCU ID and the Audience Insights Hub, which will drive greater transparency, interoperability and results for brands while maintaining privacy as a core tenant. As a member of NBCUniversal’s Advertising & Partnerships leadership team, she will also be an essential voice in the marketplace, working to partner with many of the leading trade organizations, measurement and technology companies on solutions and industry-wide initiatives.

“If you look across the industry, the signals are clear: we must collectively decide to embrace the future that our audiences have created,” Abcarian said. “NBCUniversal is on the cutting-edge of next-generation measurement and targeting. And I’m thrilled to join the expert team behind One Platform and work to provide marketers the resources and techniques they need to fully understand the impact of their investments.”

Abcarian is an experienced executive with almost two decades of media and technology leadership in developing solutions for television, digital and CTV/OTT content and advertising platforms. Prior to joining NBCUniversal, she was GM of Nielsen’s Advanced Video Advertising Group, where she led the company’s addressable initiatives including the strategic acquisitions of several key players within the space. Prior to that, Abcarian led Nielsen’s global audience measurement product portfolio where she was responsible for the creation of Nielsen’s Total Audience Product suite, along with the development of digital ad ratings for CTV.

Abcarian has also held leadership positions at various leading technology and professional services companies, including Oracle, Siebel Systems and Arthur Andersen.