- Steve McClellan

NEW YORK San Mateo, Calif., media research firm Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI) has appointed Bill McKenna president and CEO. He assumes CEO duties from Tom Zito, a co-founder of IMMI, who retains responsibilities as chairman of the firm.

McKenna previously served as CEO of WPP Group's Kantar Media Research North America and its KMR and Mediafax business units. In addition to his responsibilities at IMMI, McKenna retains the chairmanship at Mediafax, the Caribbean marketing and media research firm based in Puerto Rico that he founded in 1988 and which was subsequently acquired by Kantar.

In January 2008, WPP/KMR made a significant strategic investment in IMMI.

Commenting on the appointment, Zito said in a statement: "We are delighted to have Bill join our team and help guide us through the next phase of IMMI's evolution as a leading global media measurement company. We are focusing our resources on the completion of a single-source, cross-platform measurement product that tracks media consumption on television, computer screen, mobile device and radio, and look forward to launching our new multi-screen panels in the not-too-distant future."

Added McKenna in a statement: "In the U.S. and a growing number of international markets, media owners, content providers and advertisers are moving beyond fixed in-home electronic people meter TV measurement systems and demanding consumer-centric measurement of the new electronic media platforms that consumers are adopting at an accelerated pace."

IMMI had been in a joint venture with Adweek parent the Nielsen Co. to measure out-of-home television viewing, but the venture was shuttered last year. IMMI continues to measure it on its own. WPP also recently dissolved a longtime partnership with Nielsen, in a swap of research assets to clear regulatory hurdles related to WPP's acquisition of TNS last year.