McDevitt To Step Down As Chief Executive Of BARB
BARB’s chief executive, Caroline McDevitt, has announced her intention to step down at the end of the year after five years in the job.
During her time at BARB, McDevitt has overseen the implementation of a controversial new television audience measurement system and panel for the UK (see BARB Presents New Research System).
Commenting on her departure, she said: “The new service is established and running well. I am leaving BARB in better shape than ever to face the future, and therefore it is time for me to move on and pursue other interests.”
BARB’s chairman, Nigel Walmsley, added: “We understand Caroline’s wish to move on after five years leading the company. During that time she has achieved a great deal and we owe her a debt of gratitude.”
The board of BARB, which recently appointed Simon Bolus to the newly created position of research manager (see BARB Appoints Zenith’s Bolus As Research Manager), will commence the search for a successor for McDevitt this autumn.
BARB’s attempts to introduce a new 5,100 strong audience measurement panel at the beginning of 2001 prompted considerable criticism for broadcasters and advertisers, claiming that problems with the new methodology had undermined confidence in the robustness of the data (see BARB Defends New Ratings System).
However, the company’s research director, Tony Wearn, defended the “teething problems” encountered by the introduction of the new methodology at the recent MRG Conference in Budapest (see MRG Conference: New BARB The Story So Far).
BARB: 020 7529 5531 www.barb.co.uk
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