Mitch Barns to Lead Ipsos Americas Starting November
The former Nielsen global CEO will take over regional leadership responsibilities at the firm on November 2, 2026.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in People
Ipsos has appointed Mitch Barns to serve as the new Chairman and CEO of its Americas division starting November 2, 2026. Barns succeeds Mary Ann Packo, who will depart the company at the end of November 2026 after a transition period.
Why it matters
The appointment brings a veteran executive with significant experience managing large-scale global market research operations to the Americas division of Ipsos. Barns will report directly to Kelly Beaver as he oversees the company's regional business strategy.
Ipsos currently operates across 90 global markets with a staff of nearly 20,000 employees serving 5,000 clients. During his time leading Nielsen, Barns managed an organization with 40,000 employees operating in 100 countries.
The players
Mitch Barns
He is an experienced executive who previously served as the Global CEO of Nielsen and the CEO of The Opus Group.
Mary Ann Packo
She is the outgoing leader for the Americas region who will work to finalize the leadership handover through November 2026.
Kelly Beaver
She is an executive at Ipsos to whom Mitch Barns will report once he assumes his new regional leadership role.
Ipsos
This is a global market research and consulting firm headquartered in Paris, France, that maintains a presence in 90 markets.
The details
Mitch Barns joins Ipsos following his role as CEO of The Opus Group, which he held from 2021 to 2024. He also previously led Nielsen as Global CEO from 2014 to 2018 and holds degrees from Miami University and the Stanford Executive Program.
Timeline
Mitch Barns served as Global CEO of Nielsen from 2014 to 2018.
Mitch Barns served as CEO of The Opus Group from 2021 to 2024.
Ipsos announced the appointment of Mitch Barns on October 29, 2026.
Mitch Barns assumes his role as Chairman and CEO on November 2, 2026.
Mary Ann Packo will leave Ipsos on November 30, 2026.
Market Landscape
The appointment of Barns signals a strategic pivot for Ipsos as it seeks to leverage his experience managing large-scale global market research operations. This move positions the firm to potentially scale its influence in the Americas against competitors in the global insight sector.
For current clients of Ipsos in the Americas, this change signifies a new regional leadership direction starting in November. There are no immediate changes announced regarding service pricing or subscription tiers for the company's 5,000 current clients.
The takeaway
Large organizations often bring in veteran executives to refine operational strategies during periods of leadership transition. Stakeholders should monitor upcoming shifts in regional initiatives as Barns begins his tenure next month.
What happens next
Mitch Barns will officially assume his duties as Chairman and CEO of Americas on November 2, 2026, followed by the departure of Mary Ann Packo on November 30, 2026.
Further reading
For more information on industry leadership transitions, visit the People section.
