Happy International Women's Day

At Nielsen, we are commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD) by recognizing the outstanding achievements and contributions of talented and impactful women around the globe and within our organization.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are business priorities for us. We understand that the media industry must embrace diverse audiences, and on- screen and behind- the- camera representation. Inside our own company, about 50% of our senior leaders are women. As a CEO, father, son, brother and friend, this is critically important to me and I know it is for our leadership team as well.

Among my direct reports, almost half are women. Today, in honor of IWD, I would like them to tell their own stories about a pivotal experience that helped to shape their careers. I hope these stories leave you as inspired as I was. Happy IWD. #embraceequity #iwd2023

Tina Wilson

Group General Manager, Portfolio Analytics

A pivotal experience: I accepted a newly created role that ultimately redefined my career approach.

I have worked at Nielsen for the majority of my career –  27 years. In 2002, I went to Belgium to launch a new product in 19 countries, alongside a client. We developed it together and brought it to market together – under the Nielsen umbrella. That experience – in my 30’s – stayed with me. I learned that I thrive when I have the latitude to be innovative, to work with and through others. I also learned that career paths do not need to be pre-defined to hold meaning. For me, there is no downside to trying something new. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall; it matters how many times you get back up again.

Sandra Sims-Williams

Chief Diversity Officer

A pivotal experience: C-Suite executives repeatedly made a path for me.

I started my career as a secretary at an advertising agency in New York. One day, the head of the creative department came down the hall and said she wanted to speak with me. I thought I was in trouble. There were not a lot of women in the C-Suite back then so this woman was a big deal. She asked me to be her assistant and the department’s assistant. She saw something in me that I didn’t even see and she gave me a chance. I learned that I don’t need to be intimidated by senior leaders, they are just like me. Later, I worked for another woman senior executive who taught me to suit up for battle at work. As a woman, I might be dismissed if I’m not comfortable talking about myself and my accomplishments. Today, I am a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion. I encourage people to work for organizations where gender parity is a priority. Be conscious of who is leading a company and know their backgrounds and history. If they aren’t supporting women, I would be concerned.

Jamie Moldafsky

Chief Customer and People Officer

A pivotal experience: I took a chance and worked internationally as a young professional.

I started my career working as a marketing assistant for a powerhouse woman executive at a brokerage firm in New York. She became my friend and mentor and she taught me the importance of taking risks. When an opportunity came to move to Singapore and work for American Express in regional marketing, I accepted. As a single woman in my late twenties, I was warned that I was going off the corporate radar and I would get stuck overseas. Instead, the experience opened my eyes to a global sensibility. I ended up in charge of a region from Korea to Australia. I lived in Singapore and then Hong Kong. I grew as a person by getting out of my comfort zone. Later, when more risks came – I changed industries and accepted increasingly complex senior roles – I wasn’t afraid. I know I won’t grow professionally or personally if I don’t put myself out there and do things that I haven’t done before.