Kantar CEO Eric Salama steps down after 17 years

Eric Salama (pictured) will be stepping down as Kantar CEO during the course of 2020. He will remain in role to transition to a new CEO, and thereafter join the Kantar board as a non-executive director. As a non-executive director, he will continue to advise clients, work with Kantar management and aid with the development of key employees. The company has begun the process of recruiting a new chief executive, looking at both external and internal candidates.

Salama first joined WPP in 1994 as the director of strategy and stayed with the network for nine years. He then helmed the role of CEO at Kantar in 2003, and was involved in the recent acquisition by Bain Capital. In July, Bain Capital said it will be acquiring 60% of WPP-owned Kantar for US$4 billion. According to both parties, the deal will simplify and reposition WPP for growth, whilst “unlocking significant value for shareholders” when completed.

Salama said: “It has been an intense and rewarding 18 months preparing Kantar for sale and successfully closing a deal with our new partner Bain Capital. I am confident that Kantar has never been better positioned for growth than it is now. As professionally rewarding as 2019 has been, a lot has happened on the personal front. I am delighted that, after helping with the transition to a new CEO, I will continue to be involved in the business I love." He added that after 17 years as CEO, now is the right time for him to pause, reflect on his personal priorities and explore other experiences.

Meanwhile, Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said Salama’s contribution to WPP and to Kantar has been immense since the company he was part of was acquired by WPP in 1988. Over the past 17 years, Read added that Salama has built Kantar from its infancy into the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company and then worked tirelessly to transition the company to the next phase of its development.

Luca Bassi, a managing director at Bain Capital Private Equity, said: “I want to thank Salama for his leadership of the business throughout the sale process and his commitment to the company. He has been the true architect of Kantar’s success over the years and has put in place a strategy that will continue that success. We fully respect his decision to step down at this stage in the development of the company. We look forward to continuing to work with Salama for the long-term success of Kantar.”

Most recently, Kantar appointed Pablo Gomez as its new chief digital officer, covering Southeast Asia, North Asia and the Pacific. He was previously the regional head of media at Kantar, based in Singapore. In his new role, Gomez will be responsible for driving digital capability throughout Kantar and helping clients gain competitive advantage through new technology-driven advances.

The news of Gomez’s promotion came not long after Kantar consolidated all its brands under its wing. It also launched the Kantar Marketplace,a new global on-demand research and insights store. The integration of big data, artificial intelligence and analytical capabilities from across the company into one organisation was aimed to unlock deeper insights to fuel business growth.