Loyola Chennai alumni Karthik Rao appointed Nielsen CEO

The market research giant Nielsen appointed an insider, Karthik Rao, as its chief executive officer with immediate effect on Thursday. David Kenny, who has been the CEO since 2018, will become the executive chairman.

Since early 2023, the 23-year veteran Rao has served as the chief of Nielsen's audience measurement business.
Prior to that, he served as Nielsen's Chief Operating Officer for three years, responsible for driving a global product-driven technology transformation.


"Nielsen has been my home for most of my career, and I could not be more excited for this new opportunity," said Rao.

"I am fortunate to work alongside the best in the business, around the world, as we address unprecedented times of transition in our business. Together with our talented employees, I look forward to positioning Nielsen for the next century and beyond."

Earlier in his career, he worked as Chief Product and technology Officer for Nielsen Global Media, where he led the International Media product and technology teams.

He was also CEO of Nielsen Portfolio, where he led the fully independent division, comprising Nielsen Entertainment, Nielsen Gracenote, Nielsen Brandbank and Nielsen Telecom businesses across all global markets.

He led Gracenote during its acquisition and integration by Nielsen, which included building Gracenote’s management team, aligning its strategy, and driving growth across key markets and segments.

He holds a degree in Economics from Loyola University in Chennai and an MBA from Illinois State University.

Last year in March, the company had agreed to go private in a $10.06 billion deal with private equity firms led by Elliot Investment Management and Brookfield Asset management.

Nielsen gathers viewership data across television, radio and digital platforms that are used by advertisers and others to determine prime-time hours, but it has been under pressure as more cord-cutters move to streaming.