Dive Brief:
- IRI has named Kirk Perry, currently president of global client and agency solutions at Google, as its new president and CEO and a member of the company’s board of directors. He will assume the role on May 17.
- Perry replaces Andrew Appel, who spent nearly a decade in the top role at IRI and will remain as an advisor to the company and a member of the board of directors.
- Appel led IRI through a strategic transition that included expanding its data resources, deepening its engagement with retailers and launching an initiative that helped companies form partnerships.
Dive Insight:
Perry takes the helm of IRI at a time of significant change for the industry and its data providers.
The rise in e-commerce shopping has elevated the importance of omnichannel measurements and insights. In addition, changing consumer habits, advanced analytics and the rise of big data are shifting the drivers of success in various industries IRI covers, according to the release.
In his role at Google, Perry has been responsible for driving revenue with large advertisers and ad agencies. At Procter & Gamble, he most recently served as president of the company’s global family care division, which included the Bounty, Charmin and Puffs brands. He also spent nearly three years as vice president of U.S. operations and North America marketing.
Perry currently serves on the boards of The J.M. Smucker Company and E.l.f. Cosmetics.
He’ll take over the top role following significant changes ushered in by his predecessor. Appel more than doubled IRI’s revenue since 2013, according to the news release. He also expanded the company’s data streams, deepened its relationships with retailers, launched a media business and introduced the IRI Partner Ecosystem, which helps companies like Kroger’s 84.51°, Oracle and Pinterest collaborate.
Under Appel, IRI has “transformed the company and developed an excellent track record of partnering with clients to leverage data, technology and cutting-edge ideas for accelerated speed of insight generation, helping clients achieve better business results," said Jeffrey Ansell, chairman of IRI, in a statement.
IRI has recently made acquisitions to boost its business intelligence and services. In October, it acquired Retail Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of supply chain solutions for CPG manufacturers and retailers. Earlier this month, IRI announced it had acquired Intelligent Shoppers Solutions, a retail consumer insight provider that enables collaboration between retailers and suppliers, from Kognitiv Corporation.
