Kantar Media onboards WPP's Mark Read as Chairman

Kantar Media has appointed former WPP chief Mark Read as chairman, marking his first major position since leaving the advertising group earlier this year. The announcement follows HIG Capital’s $1.1 billion acquisition of the media measurement company from Bain Capital, a deal completed in August.

Read, who worked at his former agency for more than three decades and served as its CEO for seven years, said, “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. I am delighted to join Kantar Media’s board as Chairman, and to support Patrick and his Leadership team in bringing greater clarity to the media ecosystem at a time when audience behaviour is changing more rapidly than ever”.

Patrick Béhar, Global CEO, Kantar Media, said, “We are honoured that Mark has chosen to join Kantar Media’s Board at a pivotal moment in our company’s journey. Mark combines deep strategic thinking with practical experience in transformation, data and AI, and most importantly, he shares our ambition to transform the industry by bringing clarity to a complex landscape. I have every confidence that with his support, Kantar Media will continue to deliver best-in-class results for our clients globally.”

Under Read’s leadership, areas such as AI, cross-media measurement and targeted acquisitions are expected to be priorities. At WPP, he oversaw initiatives focused on AI and data, including the launch of WPP Open and the acquisition of data collaboration platform InfoSum.

Read’s connection to Kantar spans decades. WPP created Kantar Group in 1992 and launched Kantar Media in 2010 before selling 60% of the group to Bain Capital in 2019. The company became operationally independent in 2023, paving the way for its sale. HIG Capital completed the acquisition this year, gaining full control of the company.

The company’s sale comes at a time when advertisers are seeking unified metrics across platforms as media fragmentation increases. Industry analysts say Kantar Media’s existing infrastructure positions it to address the growing demand for cross-media measurement.

Read stepped down as WPP CEO in June and was succeeded in September by Microsoft executive Cindy Rose. WPP’s stock has fallen sharply this year, prompting industry speculation about its future, though Havas has denied reports of takeover discussions.

Kantar Media will continue to be based in London and is expected to undergo a rebrand next year. Read is also reportedly considering additional advisory roles in the United States.