OREANDA-NEWS. December 17, 2015. Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN), today announced that

Steve Hasker will become the Global President and Chief Operating Officer at the company, effective January 1, 2016.

In addition to his existing responsibilities for Nielsen's U.S. Media business and oversight of the product teams for both the consumer and media businesses, Steve will now have added responsibility for all commercial activities across the company's Watch and Buy segments globally. 

"Steve has made significant and crucial contributions to our business – the most recent of which is his stewardship of our Total Audience framework," commented

Mitch Barns, CEO, Nielsen. "His ability to look across a landscape and understand not only the complexity but also the opportunity is key to our business and that of our clients."

Steve joined Nielsen in 2009 from McKinsey & Company, where he was a partner in McKinsey's Global Media, Entertainment and Information practice. In this role, Steve was responsible for serving clients on issues of strategy, growth and innovation in television, syndicated information, filmed entertainment, sports and digital advertising. He joined McKinsey in 1998 and spent three years on the Partner Election Committee at the firm. Prior to McKinsey, Steve spent five years in several financial roles in the U.S., Russia and Australia. 

Steve holds an undergraduate economics degree from the University of Melbourne and has an MBA and a Master's in International Affairs, both with honors, from Columbia University.