David Rawlinson is the Chief Executive Officer for Nielsen Global Connect, who empowers manufacturers and retailers to make bold decisions and transform their businesses with trusted data, solutions and insights designed to drive progress.
Prior to Nielsen, Rawlinson served as the President of the Global Online Business at W.W. Grainger, Inc. (“Grainger”), a position he held since November 2015. Since taking this position, this digitally focused, global business-to-business unit has grown double digits every year and has won multiple national awards in the US for workplace culture.
Rawlinson served as a White House Fellow and in appointed positions for the George W. Bush and Obama Administrations. In the Bush Administration, Rawlinson was a leader of the outgoing transition. In the Obama Administration, he served as Senior Advisor for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council.
Rawlinson also serves on the Board of Directors of MonotaRO Co., Ltd.
Rawlinson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Citadel, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Masters in Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.