Viewers were shifting to streaming TV, which Nielsen struggled to measure. The Board of Directors of Nielsen Holdings plc announced that David Kenny will join the company as Chief Executive Officer effective December 3, 2018. David has 9 jobs listed on their profile. David joins Nielsen from IBM, where he led IBM's Cognitive Solutions business. David Kenny will take over as CEO. 76.46% of Kenny's compensation, or $15.1M, was in stock awards.Kenny also received $1.5M in bonus, $3.1M in option awards, as well as $75K in salary. Nielsen has hired former IBM exec David Kenny as Chief Executive Officer, to replace Mitch Barns, who is retiring at the end of the year. Kenny joins on December 3rd. When Nielsen CEO David Kenny stepped into the top role at the end of 2018, the company was embattled on multiple fronts. View David Kenny’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Nielsen Names David Kenny as New CEO Following Mitch Barns’ Retirement He'll come into the position after Dec. 31. Nielsen Holdings plc annual reports of executive compensation and pay are most commonly found in the Def 14a documents. David will also join Nielsen's Board of Directors. Total Cash Compensation information is comprised of yearly Base Pay and Bonuses. David Kenny, Chief Executive Officer, received $19.8M in total. Nielsen’s media customers, frustrated with the company’s slow pace of innovation, started moving away from its measurement services. Nielsen Holdings plc income statements for executive base pay and bonus are filed yearly with the SEC in the edgar filing system. Nielsen's Board of Directors is currently undergoing a strategic review, led by James Attwood Executive Chairman of the Board. By Sara Jerde | November 20, 2018.