AlixPartners seconds Serge Lupas to Kantar as interim CEO
Serge Lupas, a London based Managing Director at AlixPartners, has been named as the transitional leader of Kantar Media. His secondment follows the sudden exit of former CEO Andy Brown, who had helmed Kantar Media since 2013.
2019 saw advertising giant WPP confirm the sale of a 60% majority stake in its Kantar business to Bain Capital. Kantar, valued at over £3 billion, contained WPP’s health, media and consulting practices and was put up for sale at the turn of the year. Bain Capital, the US private equity company founded by the same man as consulting firm Bain & Company, took up a majority stake in Kantar, and quickly moved to restructure and expand the firm’s capacity.
The latest example of the changing make-up of Kantar sees Serge Lupas arrive to lead the firm’s media division. Lupas joins Kantar on a secondment from global consulting firm AlixPartners, where he has spent seven years as Managing Director of the company’s TMT practice. The move sees Lupas become the transitional successor of Andy Brown, Global CEO of Kantar Media since 2013, who exited the role in May.
Kantar Media is multi-faceted Kantar’s subsidiary dedicated to consultancy, market research and marketing. Following WPP's acquisition of TNS in 2008, which helped to form Kantar Media, Brown formed the company’s Board, and was named CEO; while he also served as part of the Kantar Operating Board and WPP Digital Advisory Group. News of Brown's departure follows the alleged ousting of former Kantar CEO Eric Salama, shortly after WPP's part-sale of Kantar to Bain in a deal valuing the firm at £3.2 billion.
As the firm weighs up its options for a permanent replacement, Lupas brings the best part of three decades of experience to the role. In the 1990s he worked for three of the world’s largest consulting firms – Bain & Company, Kearney and McKinsey & Company – before becoming CEO of Tiscali, and later of Signal Invest. Most recently, he has been in the employ of consultancy AlixPartners in London, leading the firm’s digital, tech, telecoms and media wing.
Commenting on the news, Kantar Chairman Adam Crozier said, “Serge has excellent experience and credentials from across the technology, media, advertising and communications landscape. He brings to us over 20 years of leadership and extensive expertise in improving, building and transforming global, digital businesses. He will focus on delivering against our plans for 2020, and a plan for the longer term.”
