After 26 years at Arbitron, Thom Mocarsky, currently Senior Vice President, Press and Investor Relations, will leave the company in late June. This is just the latest of the changes being made in top management ranks by Michael Skarzynski, since he was brought in as CEO.
After taking the job in January, as Steve Morris began his long-planned retirement, Skarzynski has been going over Arbitron with a fine-toothed comb and making changes to suit him for his vision of where the company is heading. The biggest changes came in March, when he announced a 10% staff reduction and several veteran executives were let go.
Later in March the new CEO named two new Executive Vice Presidents: Alton Adams, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer; and Robert Henrick, EVP, Customer Solutions. By the end of April, Taher G. Behbehani was added to the executive suite as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer.
What the new executives all have in common is extensive experience in technology companies. Skarzynski clearly sees technology as the future driver for Arbitron’s growth and quite a few people with extensive experience in audience measurement dating back to the diary-only period are not part of his vision for the future.
That said, Skarzynski was gracious in showing Mocarsky the door. RBR/TVBR obtained this memo that was sent out by the CEO to Arbitron employees:
“Thom Mocarsky, Arbitron’s Senior Vice President of Press and Investor Relations, will be leaving the company in late June to pursue new opportunities. While I have only had the opportunity to work with Thom for a short time, I can easily see the contributions he has made over his long career at Arbitron. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Thom for those contributions and to wish him well as he departs.
During Thom’s more than 26 years at Arbitron, his hallmark has been his unique ability to translate complex information into customer-ready messages. He has had an integral leadership role in our client, press and investor relations since he arrived and has shaped both the communication organization and approach into what they are today. Thom’s expertise and insights have defined our communications strategies, especially as the company transitioned to electronic measurement.
Thom joined Arbitron in 1982 as Director of Communications. Since that time his role has grown and evolved along with the company. Over the years, he has served as the link with our customers and also with the trade press and investors, helping these key constituencies to understand our business and in so doing positioning Arbitron for success.
Thom has cultivated Arbitron’s visibility well beyond the radio industry with in-depth articles placed in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times Magazine, among many others. He led the company communications during the spin-off from Ceridian in 2001 when we rang the bell at the New York Stock exchange for the first time as NYSE: ARB.
Thom will remain an advisor to the executive team during his transition. I will be announcing changes to the Marketing organization shortly, providing details of Arbitron’s integrated corporate communications plan
I know that you join me in giving Thom our best as he pursues new opportunities.”
RBR/TVBR observation: Although Skarzynski reorganized the operating structure of the company back in March, we don’t think he’s yet finished putting his management team in place. Certainly some of the senior executives still remaining from the Steve Morris era are watching to see if anyone is measuring the windows in their office for new drapes.
