CHICAGO and PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Sept. 15, 2022 — Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and The NPD Group (NPD), which recently merged to create a leading global technology, analytics and data provider, today announced that Malli Vangala has joined the company as chief strategy officer. Vangala joins the newly combined company from Microsoft, where he led strategic initiatives for the Microsoft 365 business, and succeeds Wei Lin Wong, who transitions to focus on his role as the president of Retail.

“We are very pleased to welcome Malli as we work to bring the full power of our combined organization to bear for our clients and partners,” said Kirk Perry, president and chief executive officer for IRI and NPD. “Malli is an innovative and seasoned leader, with a demonstrated track record of incubating great ideas and launching and scaling businesses built on advanced technology solutions. His complementary skillset will be an important asset as we continue to strengthen our place in the market and expand the ways we can empower brands and retailers with insights that drive growth.”

Vangala will develop and advance key strategic initiatives to maximize client value, drive product innovation and identify new growth areas across many industries the combined company serves, including CPG, softlines, hardlines, beauty, technology, foodservice and food consumption.

“I am thrilled to be joining IRI and NPD,” said Vangala. “Together, we are focused on setting a new standard for innovative technology, rich insights and data-driven advisory services across more than 20 industries. I look forward to working with this outstanding team to optimize our leading data assets and strategic retail relationships to find new opportunities to support our clients as they navigate today’s evolving and dynamic consumer landscape.”

Vangala has extensive global experience in corporate and business unit strategy, and deep expertise launching and scaling SaaS businesses. Prior to joining IRI and NPD, Vangala led the Microsoft 365 Strategy Team at Microsoft from 2016-2019. He also spent more than three years as a leader in Microsoft’s Cybersecurity and Compliance Product Marketing Team to identify, launch and scale multiple SaaS solutions. Prior to Microsoft, Vangala served as vice president of Corporate Strategy at SAP, where he led product and commercial go-to-market strategies. Earlier in his career, Vangala was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., advising global clients on organizational, operational and strategic projects.

Vangala earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Osmania University in India.