ESOMAR CEO Forum Webinar with Eric Salama

Eric is a global business leader with a track record of transformation. 

He is currently the Chair of Comic Relief, Chair of Verian (formerly Kantar Public which specialises in research and consulting on societal and public policy issues) a board advisor to Europe’s leading vc company Local Globe and a director of leading US based start up Morning Consult. 

He stepped down as CEO of Kantar, one of the world’s leading research, insight, data and consulting companies after leading its carve out from WPP and a sale of a majority stake to Bain Capital in 2020.  During his 18 years as CEO the business grew to over $4bn of revenue, 30k employees, operating in all markets around the world and working with major multinationals and local giants – clients and partners such as BBC, Google, Facebook,  Alibaba, Globo, Yilli, ITC, JBS, Coke, Unilever, Loreal, VW, Group M, Omnicom. 

Prior to Kantar Eric served on the main board of WPP for almost a decade as the CEO of wpp.com and the Head of Strategy, working as part of the team which built it into the largest marketing services company in the world. 

During his career Eric has been a Senior Fellow at Harvards Kennedy School where he researched and lectured on data and privacy issues, has served as a Trustee of the British Museum, a Director of UK Government Department DFID and a Governor of Birkbeck College London.  He has presented extensively around the world in Government and Parliamentary forums, public conferences and client events.  He was both a Chairman and a juror at Cannes Lions Festivals of Advertising.

Kristin Luck serves as an advisor and growth strategist to several cutting-edge marketing and analytics technology and services firms through her consultancy, ScaleHouse. She is the founder of two marketing analytics companies that she led to successful exits. Kristin co-founded OTX, an online research business named the fastest growing research firm in the world in 2002 and 2003 and was subsequently acquired by Pilot Group and again by Ipsos in 2007. She then founded Forefront Consulting Group, a research technology firm that Decipher acquired. Decipher was acquired by FocusVision in 2014 after seven consecutive years of double- and triple-digit growth.

Kristin is a licensed investment banker with Oberon Securities and a founder focused on helping fellow founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses. Her deal expertise on both sides of transactions comes from participating in both acquisitions and exits from $30 million to $225 million. She is also passionate about supporting founders in international markets executing their entry into the U.S.

In addition to her non-profit association work with ESOMAR as President Ex-Officio, Kristin is the founder of Women In Research and sits on the boards of The ESOMAR Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and International Women's Forum.