After two years at the helm of the IAB as chairman, CEO of Yahoo7 Ed Harrison is stepping down from the top job.
Harrison will be replaced by well-known industry powerhouse Nicole Sheffield, who was former NewsLifeMedia CEO, but recently moved into an MD spot, heading up News Corp’s new business arm, News Digital Networks Australia (News DNA).
The role of IAB chairperson is rotated through the IAB board with a maximum tenure of two years. Her appointment is effective immediately.
Already into the new role she has stressed the importance of digital daily ratings and “evolution of measurement” as being key to success, so people will no doubt be waiting to see what new moves she will make in her new gig.
Well known by the industry, marketers and media, the IAB says Sheffield brings considerable commercial and digital acumen to the role. She will work closely with the board and newly appointed CEO Vijay Solanki to proactively define the future of the digital industry in Australia to ensure it thrives and prospers.
“I am delighted to take over as chair following Ed’s fabulous work and look forward to working closely with the highly engaged and professional IAB board,” Sheffield says.
“Vijay has already made his mark with the introduction of new council chairs and you can expect to hear more from us on future strategy as the IAB continues to evolve.”
Sheffield says the next two years will be significant for the fast growing and dynamic digital industry.
“The importance of digital daily ratings and evolution of measurement will be key to success, solidifying the opportunities that digital offers marketers and becoming essential in their daily lives and campaigns,” she adds.
Sheffield, no doubt one of the busiest women in media, also sits on the board of Chief Executive Women and is chairperson of Marketing and Communications. She has a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law from Macquarie University and a Masters of Business from UTS.
Outgoing chairman Ed Harrison said: “The IAB has achieved a lot in the last two years, especially in its world leading development of online audience measurement. Now that Vijay is up and running, it’s a great time to pass on the baton. The IAB Board is strong and Nicole will do a fantastic job.”
Solanki has his feet firmly under the table, having made a batch of fresh appointments within the organisation's video, tech, mobile and measurement hubs. See: The 'lifeblood' of IAB Australia - News Corp, MCN and AdRoll join the fray.In March AdNews reported that IAB CEO Alice Manners would step down from the organisation in May as her three year tenure came to an end. Former IAB CEO Paul Fisher, who steered the ship before current Manners, was brought back in to work at the organisation as a consultant, before Solanki filled her spot.
Manners recently resurfaced at one of Perth's leading agencies, Marketforce.
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