Read (pictured) was at the helm of WPP from 2018 until earlier this year when his successor, Cindy Rose, was appointed as chief executive.

Earlier in his career, Read led strategy for WPP, was chief executive of Wunderman and led WPP Digital.

Kantar Group and Bain Capital sold Kantar Media to investment firm HIG Capital earlier this year, with the deal concluding in August.

Patrick Béhar, chief executive, Kantar Media, said: “We are honoured that Mark has chosen to join Kantar Media’s board at a pivotal moment in our company’s journey. Mark combines deep strategic thinking with practical experience in transformation, data and AI, and most importantly he shares our ambition to transform the industry by bringing clarity to a complex landscape.”

Read said: “I am delighted to join Kantar Media’s board as chairman, and to support Patrick and his leadership team in bringing greater clarity to the media ecosystem at a time when audience behaviour is changing more rapidly than ever.”

Nishant Nayyar, managing director at HIG Capital, said Read’s “proven track record in driving transformation and innovation” would be “invaluable” for the next phase of the company’s growth.