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David Kenny

Chief Executive Officer, Nielsen

David Kenny is a prominent American businessman known for his extensive leadership roles in the media and technology sectors. He is currently the Executive Chairman of Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement and analytics, having transitioned to this role in September 2023 after serving as CEO from December 2018 to September 2023.135

Early Life and Education

Kenny was born in 1961 in Lansing, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Administration from Kettering University (formerly the General Motors Institute) in 1984 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1986.15

Career Highlights

  • Nielsen: Kenny joined Nielsen as CEO in November 2018, where he played a crucial role in transforming the company towards digital solutions and led significant transactions, including the sale of NielsenIQ and the acquisition of Nielsen by a private equity consortium in 2022.13 In September 2023, he became Executive Chairman as Karthik Rao took over as CEO.34

  • IBM: Before joining Nielsen, Kenny was Senior Vice President of IBM's Watson and Cognitive Solutions, where he spearheaded AI initiatives across various sectors.12

  • The Weather Company: He served as Chairman and CEO from 2012 until its acquisition by IBM in 2016.15

  • Akamai Technologies: Kenny was President of this cloud platform technology company from 2010 to 2011.2

  • Digitas: He co-founded Digitas, Inc., serving as CEO until its acquisition by Publicis Groupe in 2007.15

Board Memberships

Kenny is also active on several boards, including serving as a Director for Best Buy and as Chairman of the Board for Teach For America. He is involved with ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing as well.12

Personal Attributes

Kenny is recognized for his expertise in data science, artificial intelligence, and his deep understanding of the media landscape. His leadership style emphasizes growth strategies and stakeholder value creation.15

For more insights into his professional journey, you can view his LinkedIn profile under the username davidkenny1.2

Highlights

Jul 18 · linkedin

Today marks the 25th edition of The Gauge, an important industry snapshot of the total time U.S. viewers spend watching TV each month via broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

The Gauge is tracking, arguably, the most seismic shift in the history of television. In just 25 months, streaming has moved from representing 26% of total time spent with TV in the U.S. (cable was 39% and broadcast 25%) to today representing 37.7% of total time spent with TV in the U.S. (cable is now 30.6% and broadcast 20.8%).

In 2021, we recognized five streaming platforms because they had reached at least 1% of TV usage (Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Prime Video and Disney+).

Today, there are 11 such streamers, including Max, Tubi, Peacock, Paramount+, Roku Channel and Pluto. The list continues to grow.

There’s no question streaming is the future of TV. Media companies are emphasizing it in their strategies, pure play streamers are continuing to make inroads, and, most importantly, consumers are voting with their remotes.

Jun 8 · linkedin

The voice of the global LGBTQ+ community has never been louder, but the same can be said about the opposition to it. We believe the media and entertainment industry can help educate and accelerate progress.

Today, Nielsen released a new research report as part of its ongoing Diverse Intelligence Series, The Push For Change: Examining LGBTQ+ Representation in Media and Advertising. The report provides insights on the state of LGBTQ+ representation across media platforms and how to engage LGBTQ+ audiences more effectively and inclusively.

An inclusive and representative media landscape benefits the industry, communities and all people.

https://lnkd.in/etDGUayN

#nielsen

Related Questions

What were the two most significant transactions David Kenny led at Nielsen?
How did David Kenny's role at IBM influence his leadership at Nielsen?
What strategies did David Kenny implement to transform Nielsen into a digital company?
What is David Kenny's background in data science and artificial intelligence?
How did David Kenny's experience at The Weather Company prepare him for his role at Nielsen?
David Kenny
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Location

New York, New York, United States