Former WPP Chief Mark Read takes helm at Kantar Media after HIG Capital’s $1.1 billion buyout

Kantar Media has appointed former WPP chief Mark Read as chairman, marking his first major role since stepping down from the advertising giant earlier this year. The move comes months after Miami-based private equity firm HIG Capital completed its $1.1 billion acquisition of the media measurement and analytics company from Bain Capital.

Read, who spent more than three decades at WPP and served as its CEO for seven years, said Kantar Media plays “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 added that he aims to bring greater clarity to a rapidly evolving media landscape where audience behavior continues to shift at unprecedented speed.

Patrick Béhar, CEO of Kantar Media, said Read’s combination of strategic depth and hands-on experience in data, transformation and AI made him a natural choice for the chair role. Béhar noted that Read “shares our ambition to transform the industry by bringing clarity to a complex landscape.”

Read’s ties to Kantar run deep. WPP created Kantar Group in 1992 as its market research arm and launched Kantar Media in 2010. In 2019, WPP sold 60% of Kantar Group to Bain Capital, retaining a 40% minority stake. Kantar Media was carved out as an operationally independent entity in 2023, paving the way for a full sale.

HIG Capital emerged as the buyer in a deal valued at about $1 billion, finalised in January 2025. The acquisition closed in August, giving HIG full control of a company that now operates in more than 60 markets with over 4,500 employees.

Kantar Media remains one of Europe’s most influential measurement providers. In the UK, it operates the national TV panel that feeds ratings to Barb and supplies data for ISBA’s cross-media measurement initiative, Origin. Its technology underpins several broadcast measurement systems across the continent.

The sale occurred during a period of intense scrutiny over measurement standards, with advertisers demanding unified cross-media metrics to justify rising media costs across increasingly fragmented platforms. Industry executives argue that Kantar Media’s infrastructure positions it well to capture this growing demand.

AI-driven tools, cross-media measurement technologies and targeted acquisitions are likely to be key areas of focus for the new board under Read’s leadership.

During his tenure at WPP, Read championed the company’s pivot toward AI and data-led solutions. He launched WPP Open, the group’s AI-powered operating system, and oversaw the acquisition of data collaboration platform InfoSum, integrating its clean-room technology into WPP Open earlier this year.

His appointment at Kantar Media signals a continuation of that data-and-AI-first approach—one that industry observers believe is essential as measurement companies race to keep up with platform fragmentation and privacy constraints.

Read stepped down as WPP CEO in June and was replaced in September by Microsoft executive Cindy Rose. The advertising conglomerate has seen its stock slide sharply this year, prompting speculation that it could become a takeover target. French group Havas has publicly denied holding talks with WPP.

Kantar Media will continue to be headquartered in London and is expected to undergo a rebrand next year, further distancing itself from the Kantar Group identity. Meanwhile, Read is also said to be exploring additional advisory and non-executive roles in the US.

His leadership at Kantar Media places him at the center of one of the most critical evolutions in global media—building unified measurement systems capable of tracking audiences across linear TV, streaming platforms, social media, and digital ecosystems.

As advertisers push for more transparency and accountability in their media spends, the company’s next phase of growth under Read and HIG Capital will be closely watched across the industry.