Karen Halligan steps in as new OzTAM CEO

The news: Television ratings body OzTAM has appointed Karen Halligan as its new chief executive, after Doug Peiffer stepped down from the role in June.

The numbers: Ms Halligan joins OzTAM from KPMG, where she spent almost six years and was a partner specialising in marketing, martech and media advisory. Her previous experience includes working as media manager at Coca-Cola, managing director of Zenith, and in senior management roles with Mediacom, Slingshot Media, Bohemia Group, and SCA.

The context: The appointment comes months after Pfeiffer stepped down from the role after more than 12 years in the position. OzTAM, which is co-owned by the Seven, Nine and Ten networks, is in the midst of a transformation led by the rollout of a new ratings system known as Virtual Australia, or VOZ, which was launched in May. It draws on a panel of more than 5000 homes in major cities and 3000 in regional areas to provide an audience figure for live and terrestrial television as well as streaming viewing through the free-to-air broadcasters’ apps.