New Worldwide CEO for RI

Mark Cranmer, the outgoing CEO of Starcom MediaVest EMEA, is to replace Roger Banks as Worldwide CEO of Research International. Banks is in discussions about another role within Kantar.

Cranmer starts on 1st May and will report into Eric Salama, CEO of Kantar, WPP's insight, information and consultancy unit. He has spent his career in a variety of advertising and media agencies, creating Motive for BBH and then knitting a coherent network for Publicis out of deals involving BBH, Leo Burnett and D'Arcy. He says he 'spent the last year assessing the opportunities ahead' and decided that RI is the place to be.

The group says the appointment, along with recent acquisitions in China (www.mrweb.com/drno/news4895.htm ) and Poland (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5004.htm ) testify to Kantar and WPP's ambition for Research International. According to Eric Salama, Cranmer is 'entrepreneurial, understands what clients need and is committed to developing solutions proactively for them, is passionate about developing talent within his businesses and intolerant of average work'. Salama says the move is designed to accelerate RI's ability to generate 'consistently brilliant and practical insights' and to be a faster, more proactive partner for its clients.

RI is online at www.research-int.com and Kantar at www.kantargroup.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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