NPD adjusts leadership in key growth area

Global information company NPD Group made a key organizational change to its growing home and office supplies practice.



The information provider said Lora Morsovillo, formerly president of the NPD’s office supplies practice, would assume the role of president of the home practice. Morsovillo will continue to report to Perry James, who continues to lead the firm’s hardlines sector, including home, automotive, toys, and office supplies. James also takes over direct management of office supplies from Morsovillo.



NPD said the changes position it for continued expansion of its home and office supplies practices following an agreement with Nielsen earlier this year. In March, NPD announced an information sharing agreement with Nielsen to combine Nielsen’s market information, including sales data from food and drug channels, with NPD’s existing school and office supplies business, which covers office superstores, mass merchants, e-commerce, and other retailers, in order to deliver the industry’s most complete view of the marketplace.



“This is an exciting time for NPD, particularly in these industries, as recent agreements and enhancements to our services position us well to ratchet up client engagement and offer solutions in addition to data,” said Dennis Brown, NPDs’ group president of the Americas Commercial Business. “This change will allow both Lora and Perry use their respective experience to partner with clients in new ways, help them identify opportunities and achieve measurable business results.”



Morsovillo has been with NPD since 2010. Prior to joining NPD, she held positions at Newell Rubbermaid, Vista Information Services (now Epicor Vista), a division of Sunbeam (now Jarden), and Symphony IRI Group (formerly Information Resources, Inc.).



James, an NPD veteran, has been with the company for 19 years, and launched the firm’s office supplies tracking business in 2007. In March 2013, he was promoted to lead NPD’s hardlines sector. Prior to that he was president of NPD’s home, and office supplies businesses, and held a variety of business development and client development positions in NPD’s home and fashion practices.