Ipsos Volte-Face: Ben Page to Lead Group Worldwide

Ipsos has announced that Nathalie Roos will no longer be taking over as CEO, following the emergence of 'deep discrepancies' in her discussions with Didier Truchot. Instead, Ipsos MORI CEO Ben Page will take the top job, from November 15th.

The firm said 'in-depth discussions' had been taking place between Truchot and former L'Oréal exec Roos since the announcement on 19th July that the group's co-founder would be stepping back into an Executive Chairman's role, but that 'last week, these discussions revealed deep discrepancies between the parties'. Subsequently the Board of Directors of Ipsos SA has decided to appoint Page, who has been CEO of Ipsos MORI in the UK since 2009 and is also one of the country's best-known pollsters. The Board said he had shown 'outstanding leadership' at Ipsos MORI, which has consistently been among the group's best performers.

Before 2009, Page (pictured) was a partner in MORI UK, heading up its Social Research Institute; and he was a key member of the team leading its MBO and then its sale to Ipsos in 2005. He graduated from Oxford University, where he studied Modern History (Economics and Politics). He is a Visiting Professor at King's College London, and a Council member at the Economic and Social Research Council (UKRI) among other non-executive roles.

Two weeks ago, DRNO reported that seventeen-year Ipsos veteran Pierre Le Manh was leaving his role of CEO in North America to pursue 'other opportunities', in a move apparently linked to Truchot's decision to step back. The company has nevertheless made a good recovery from the difficulties of 2020, with Q1 revenue of EUR 466.3m, up 10.5% from Q1 2019 - and says its three-year-old strategic initiative, the 'Total Understanding Project, will continue on course.

Truchot, who will be Chairman of the Board of Directors after the handover in November, comments: 'I have known Ben for the past 16 years. He is a great professional, capable of bringing together innovation and rigor, human capital and mastery of technology. Beyond the positive performance of the British business, Ben has played a central role in the creation and deployment of programs that make Ipsos one of the most diversified and solid players in the Research industry. I am convinced that Ben will accelerate Ipsos' transformation and ensure the successful implementation of its projects to become a more effective partner for its clients, employees and shareholders'.

Web site: www.ipsos.com .