Mark Read's next move announced

Mark Read, former CEO of WPP, has been announced as the chairman of Kantar’s newly formed Board of Directors (Image source: © Kantar Media Kantar Media)

Kantar Media was recently sold by Kantar Group and Bain Capital to H.I.G. Capital.

The transaction concluded in August of this year, and this newly formed Board is the first fully independent Board for the company.

“Mark’s appointment underscores our commitment to backing Kantar Media with exceptional leadership.

“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,” said Nishant Nayyar, managing director at H.I.G. Capital.

Pivotal moment

Patrick Béhar, CEO of Kantar Medi,a says they are honoured that Mark has chosen to join Kantar Media’s Board at a pivotal moment in the 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 suppor,t Kantar Media will continue to deliver best-in-class results for our clients globally.”

Clarity to the media ecosystem

Read says 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,” says Read.

End of an era as Mark Read announces retirement from WPP

9 Jun 2025

Long career

Read has had a long career in the advertising and media industry, most recently as CEO of WPP from 2018 to 2025.

Before that, he led strategy for WPP, made its early moves into digital media through WPP Digital and was CEO of Wunderman, a global digital agency.

He believes in the power of technology to transform business and championed WPP’s investments in AI, including the creation of WPP Open and the acquisition of Satalia, a leading UK AI business.