Nielsen's Exiting CEO To Join The Blackstone Group

David Calhoun

Earlier this month (NET NEWS 11/6) NIELSEN announced that effective JAN. 1st, 2014, DWIGHT M. (“MITCH”) BARNS would succeed DAVID L. CALHOUN as CEO. Now we know where CALHOUN is heading, as FORTUNE reports he will join "THE BLACKSTONE GROUP, one of six private equity firms that purchased NIELSEN in 2006 (it returned to the public markets in 2011)."

CALHOUN will head BLACKSTONE's private equity portfolio management group.

"Unlike some other big company CEOs who join private equity firms without really understanding the business, DAVE really gets it because he's been running a company owned by private equity firms," said BLACKSTONE chief JOE BARATTA. "He understands our firm specifically, but also broader issues of private equity governance, what our intervention strategies are all about and the risks surrounding these deals."

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