Former ITV boss Adam Crozier in talks to chair Kantar
The former chief executive of ITV is in discussions to take over as chairman of market research giant Kantar.
Adam Crozier, who led the broadcaster for seven years to 2017, has been approached about the role by Bain, which bought a majority stake in Kantar from WPP for $4bn (£3.2bn) last year.
A source close to Kantar confirmed that the company was in conversations with Crozier, but said a deal was yet to be finalised.
Crozier, who currently chairs Asos, Whitbread and cinema chain Vue, has previously served as chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi, the Football Association and Royal Mail.
Crozier’s potential appointment at Kantar, first reported by the Sunday Times, would reunite him with former ITV colleague Ian Griffiths, who was named as the data firm’s new chief financial officer earlier this month.
However, Kantar is still on the hunt for a new chief executive to replace Eric Salama, who has announced plans to step down in 2020, a year after he was stabbed in west London last year.
Kantar, which employs roughly 30,000 people and is known for its research across a range of sectors including retail and media, is revamping its leadership team ahead of a potential stock market float in the coming years.
The Bain takeover was a major divestment for WPP, which has been offloading fringe businesses as part of a transformation plan aimed at slimming down the advertising giant’s sprawling empire in the face of tough competition from digital rivals.
Kantar declined to comment.