Jay Leveton Named Interim Chief Executive Officer of Penn Schoen Berland

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Penn Schoen Berland, a global research-based consultancy that specializes in messaging and communications strategy, announced today that it has named Jay Leveton as the firm’s interim Chief Executive Officer. Leveton will assume this post immediately and report to the firm’s chairman Donald A. Baer. Baer is also Worldwide President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm’s sister company Burson-Marsteller.

“Based on his 15 years of extensive experience at every level of Penn Schoen Berland, Jay has a thorough mastery of the firm’s operations, management needs and growth opportunities”

Leveton has worked at the firm since 1997, when he began as an entry-level employee upon graduating college. Since joining the firm, he has been promoted several times, rising to become Managing Director of the firm’s New York office. He is now Executive Vice President at Burson-Marsteller, a post he will maintain.

“Based on his 15 years of extensive experience at every level of Penn Schoen Berland, Jay has a thorough mastery of the firm’s operations, management needs and growth opportunities,” said Baer. “He is the right person to work with me and others to guide PSB through a successful transition as we move quickly to put in place a longer term leadership plan.”

Leveton will work closely with a newly established operating committee that will help oversee the firm’s strategy, management and operations. The operating committee will include several of the firm’s long-time managing directors including Matt Carter, Curtis Freet, Amy Leveton, William Mann, Jonathan Penn and Chief Financial Officer Mike Pettingill.

“I look forward to working with the operating committee and with all of my colleagues at Penn Schoen Berland,” said Leveton. “Penn Schoen Berland has been a research innovator for decades, whether it was inventing overnight tracking polls or bringing the lessons of the campaign trail to the boardroom, we have always been at the forefront of our industry. I know that with this team we will continue to build on that track record of innovation and success.”

Penn Schoen Berland and Burson-Marsteller are WPP operating companies.

About Penn Schoen Berland

Penn Schoen Berland, a unit of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY), is a global research-based consultancy that specializes in messaging and communications strategy for blue-chip political, corporate, and entertainment clients. PSB has over 30 years of experience in leveraging unique insights about consumer opinion to provide clients with a competitive advantage – what it calls Winning Knowledge. PSB executes polling and message testing services for Fortune 100 companies and has helped elect more than 30 presidents and prime ministers around the world. More information is available at psbresearch.com.