Kantar announces agreement for sale of Kantar Public business to Trilantic Europe

10 May 2022, London: Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company today entered into an agreement for the sale of Kantar Public to Trilantic Europe, a pan-European private equity firm focused on mid-market transactions. Under this agreement, Kantar Public would establish itself as an independent business and become one of the largest global specialist evidence and advisory businesses to government and the public realm. Trilantic Europe will partner with the management team to deliver Kantar Public’s next phase of purpose-based growth to create a better public realm. Kantar Public currently employs more than 700 people in over 20 countries.

Commenting on the announcement Chris Jansen, Chief Executive, Kantar, said, “Today is an exciting day for the Kantar Public team. I am proud of the business we have built together, and most recently the advances in making Kantar Public a truly unique player in the public policy space, at the intersection of data, advisory and technology. Under this new ownership structure, the team has the backing it needs to develop its leadership position as the preeminent global expert in the public policy space.”

Kantar Public CEO Dr Michelle Harrison added, “We launched Kantar Public in 2016. Since then, with Kantar’s support we have grown to become the leading evidence and advisory partner for government and the public realm. Now, with our scale and our specialist focus, this is the right time to stand alone, with the support of our new investor Trilantic Europe. 

We are positioned better than ever before to deliver more value to our clients across the public policy landscape: from delivering the gold standard for public evidence, through our deep specialism in behavioural science and change advisory, to our unique capabilities in program evaluation. On behalf of my leadership team, I thank Kantar for its support in what we have achieved to date, and I am convinced that, in Trilantic Europe, we have found the right partner for our new direction and growth.”

Joseph Cohen, Founding Partner at Trilantic Europe, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Michelle and the rest of the team at this exciting stage of Kantar Public’s journey. With Kantar’s support they have successfully created a unique business with strong social policy credentials, global reach and a true leadership position in its sector, demonstrated by the breadth and depth of its customer relationships. We are looking forward to working with the team in continuing to build on this impressive growth and supporting them to make further investment in people, capabilities, and technologies.”

The proposed transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022 subject to completion of the relevant shareholder, legal and regulatory processes, and employee representatives’ consultations where necessary.

Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.