Mark Read has landed his next role after stepping down as CEO of WPP: Chairman of the newly formed board of directors at Kantar Media.
It’s his first post since ending a 30-year run at WPP, which included seven years as CEO, as well as leadership roles at Wunderman and WPP Digital. His move to Kantar comes less than three months after Cindy Rose was installed as WPP’s new CEO in September, though he is set to stay on as an advisor to the holding company through the end of the year.
In a statement, Read said he was looking forward to joining Kantar in its mission to bring “greater clarity to the media ecosystem at a time when audience behavior is changing more rapidly than ever.”
“Kantar Media serves a unique and essential role in the media ecosystem: helping advertisers, agencies, media owners, and platforms understand how people are consuming media and how best to direct their media investments,” he said.
Patrick Béhar, CEO of Kantar Media, noted Read’s combination of “deep strategic thinking” and “practical experience in transformation, data, and AI,” as key to his selection. “Most importantly, he shares our ambition to transform the industry by bringing clarity to a complex landscape,” he said in a statement.
The appointment comes after Kantar Media was sold by Kantar Group and Bain Capital to H.I.G. Capital for a reported $ 1 billion in August, leading it to form its first fully independent board.
“Mark’s appointment underscores our commitment to backing Kantar Media with exceptional leadership,” Nishant Nayyar, managing director at H.I.G., said in a statement. “His deep industry knowledge and proven track record in driving transformation and innovation will be invaluable as Patrick and his team take the company into its next phase of growth.”
