Kantar previously announced that Salama would depart from the chief executive role during 2020. The announcement was made in December, the week after WPP completed its sale of 60% of Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital.

Salama previously cited 'personal priorities' for the decision. While leading the sale process for Kantar, in January 2019, he was stabbed during an attempted robbery in Kew, West London.

He will be on gardening leave until the end of June 2020, and Kantar’s executive committee will lead the company until a new chief executive has been appointed. Kantar is still searching for a successor, and said it is ‘going well'. 

The executive committee is made up of divisional chief execs, each of whom is responsible for their respective business plans, a company spokesperson said. The company was unable to confirm who is leading the executive committee.

The board has asked Salama to join Kantar’s board as a non-executive director after he has departed the chief executive role, to provide support to clients in a ‘consultancy capacity'. Salama will confirm whether he intends to take up this role by the end of June, according to the spokesperson. 

The partial sale of Kantar valued the company at around $4bn. Last week, it appointed Adam Crozier, formerly chief executive of ITV, as chairman, and in January, Ian Griffiths – also formerly of ITV – joined as chief financial officer.

A statement from Kantar said: “With delivery of 2020 growth plans now firmly underway, the Kantar board of directors decided that this was the right time for Mr Salama to step down.

“The Kantar board of directors thanks Eric for his immense contribution and leadership.”