News & Views

Barb, the industry’s standard for understanding what people watch, has appointed Jen McLevey to the new role of Head of Strategic Developments.

Jen will be tasked with ensuring all of Barb’s major strategic and operational projects are delivered against industry expectations and contractual commitments. She will be a key link between Barb’s stakeholders and its research contractors in helping to drive future development, while maintaining the high quality of the Barb service. Jen will report to Barb’s Chief Executive, Caroline Davey.

Jen McLevey joins Barb after eleven years at TRP Research, a Barb-registered data-processing bureau. As Associate Director, she managed a range of complex research projects, including the development of metadata and monitoring service TRP Helix, with multiple stakeholders, such as broadcasters, regulators, production companies and ad agencies.

Caroline Davey, Chief Executive of Barb, said:

“Jen’s strong project-management skills, combined with her experience in and enthusiasm for trusted, independent audience measurement, made her the ideal candidate for this new role. She will play a vital role in coordinating the delivery of our major strategic projects to help our industry maintain a comprehensive understanding of what people watch.”

Jen McLevey added:

“I’m excited to join Barb at such a key time of growth and development. With a life-long love of our industry, I’m looking forward to being directly involved in work to ensure that audience measurement keeps pace with the changing ways people are watching content.”

This appointment follows Caroline Davey taking up the role of Chief Executive in June, at the same time as the promotion of two senior colleagues to Barb’s leadership team. Khaled El Serafy became Director of Data and Technology, while Luca Vannini became Director of Partnerships and Communications.

Barb’s strategic priorities include embracing more device data; maintaining a high-quality panel; supporting full-cycle campaign optimisation through Barb Ads Hub; modernising data distribution; and extending reporting of the content people watch.

Barb is also committed to working with ISBA and other joint-industry measurement bodies to meet advertisers’ requirements for measuring audiences across the platforms people use to watch their favourite content.