CHICAGO -

Along with a new addition to its board of directors, TransUnion also announced the appointment for the newly created role of executive vice president and chief data and analytics officer. Those two actions are both effective on Tuesday.

Joining is the board is Charles Gottdiener, who served as the president and chief executive officer of Neustar since 2018. TransUnion said Gottdiener will serve as an executive advisor to TransUnion president and CEO Chris Cartwright for a two-month period.

“TransUnion’s data and analytics capabilities are core to the innovative solutions we deliver to make trust possible in global commerce,” Cartwright said in a news release. “Charlie’s decades-long record of leading information services and technology companies, driving innovation and scaling operations, together with his experience at Neustar will make him a welcome addition to our board.”

Prior to joining Neustar, which TransUnion acquired last year, Gottdiener served as a managing director with Providence Equity Partners where he was head of portfolio operations beginning in 2010, and chief operating officer from 2014 to 2018.

“As president and CEO of Neustar, Charlie led the impressive transformation of the company and we’re excited to welcome him to TransUnion’s board of directors,” said Pamela Joseph, who is chair of TransUnion’s board.

“In addition to supporting the integration of the Neustar business into TransUnion, Charlie’s expertise and leadership acumen will be instrumental in supporting our mission to make trust possible between consumers and business,” Joseph continued.

Gottdiener also served as an interim CEO or board member of several Providence portfolio companies, including Blackboard, SRA International, Altegrity, Survey Sampling, VRAD and Ascend Learning.

“I’m inspired by TransUnion’s mission of information for good,” Gottdiener said. “As digital commerce continues to grow rapidly around the world, TransUnion’s powerful digital identity assets, enhanced by Neustar’s distinctive data and identity resolution capabilities, will enable safer and more personalized online experiences for consumers and businesses. I’m thrilled to be able to continue to contribute to this work.”

Meanwhile, former Neustar executive vice president and chief data and technology officer Venkat Achanta will step into the new post TransUnion created.

As the leader of TransUnion’s new global data and analytics organization, the company said Achanta will execute a unified data strategy across TransUnion. Achanta will help to integrate Neustar’s proprietary OneID identity resolution platform across TransUnion’s products and services. OneID links people, devices, and locations across both online and offline worlds using advanced machine-learning and technology.

“Venkat’s strong leadership in data science, analytics, and enterprise information management will help accelerate the combination of TransUnion’s powerful digital identity assets and Neustar’s distinctive data and identity resolution capabilities,” Cartwright said.

Achanta has more than 20 years of experience in data science, analytics, and enterprise information management. Prior to joining Neustar in 2016, he was chief data officer and head of data and analytics at Walmart from 2014 to 2016, leading all data and analytics delivery platforms across the company globally.

Achanta has held senior leadership positions in data and analytics at AIG, Capital One, and Experian.

“I’m very excited about the future of data and analytics innovation at TransUnion,” Achanta said. “As we leverage our combined resources and technology, we will enable enhanced consumer experiences and drive more timely and accurate insights for our customers.”