MUMBAI: Data and media company Kantar has announced the appointment of Chris Jansen as group chief executive officer, effective 1 November. He is currently CEO at Cognita, a global schools group.

Jansen joins Kantar with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the services sector, ranging from brand building to service delivery transformation, alongside a background in classic FMCG marketing, and an established track record of managing private equity-owned businesses.

Welcoming Jansen on board, Kantar chairman Adam Crozier said, “Chris’ track record of building great companies, as well as his entrepreneurial and competitive spirit, further strengthens the leadership team we have been building over the past 18 months. Chris is a highly people-centric leader who understands the importance a strong culture plays in delivering outstanding results. As we continue on our transformation journey at Kantar and build on our recent business momentum, his leadership will be instrumental in fulfilling the ambition that we have for Kantar.”

Jansen has previously served in various leadership roles, and board positions at both British Gas and British Airways. He led the Automobile Association (AA) to a stock market flotation in 2014.

Kantar's newly appointed CEO said, “Kantar is rightly regarded as a world leader in data and insights-led consultancy and has an outstanding reputation with its clients. This is a result of having outstanding people, and I am really looking forward to working very closely with the Kantar team. We have an exciting future ahead, as we continue to embrace advanced analytics and the latest technology in order to better serve our clients.”