IAB Australia elects Nicole Sheffield, managing director, News DNA as its new chair of the board

IAB Australia has today announced the appointment of Nicole Sheffield, managing director of News Digital Networks Australia (News DNA) as the new chair of its board. Unanimously voted to the role by the IAB Australia Board, her appointment is effective immediately.

In announcing the appointment, IAB Australia also recognised and warmly thanked Ed Harrison, CEO of Yahoo7 for his leadership of the board during his two year term as chair.  The role of IAB chair is rotated through the IAB Board with a maximum tenure of two years.

Says Harrison: “The IAB has achieved a lot in the last two years, especially in its world leading development of online audience measurement.  Now that Vijay is up and running, it’s a great time to pass on the baton.  The IAB Board is strong and Nicole will do a fantastic job.”

Well known and respected by the industry, marketers and media, Sheffield brings considerable commercial and digital acumen to the role.  She will work closely with the Board and newly appointed CEO Vijay Solanki to proactively define the future of the digital industry in Australia and ensure it thrives and prospers.

Says Sheffield: “I am delighted to take over as chair following Ed’s fabulous work and look forward to working closely with the highly engaged and professional IAB board. Vijay has already made his mark with the introduction of new council chairs and you can expect to hear more from us on future strategy as the IAB continues to evolve.

“The next two years will be significant for the fast growing and dynamic digital industry. The importance of digital daily ratings and evolution of measurement will be key to success, solidifying the opportunities that digital offers marketers and becoming essential in their daily lives and campaigns.”

Sheffield is recognised as one of the most influential and senior women in Australian media and brings a wealth of experience to the IAB Australia. In addition to her roles as managing director of News DNA and IAB chair, Sheffield sits on the board of Chief Executive Women and is chair of marketing and communications. She has a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from Macquarie University and a Masters of Business from UTS.