The new chief executive of Kantar, one of the world’s largest market research groups, is to leave after less than four months in the role, and just days after it announced a $1.5bn acquisition.

Sky News has learnt that senior executives at Kantar were informed of Alexis Nasard’s departure on Monday afternoon.

One source said that both Mr Nasard and the company had quickly realised that his appointment was unlikely to be an “effective long-term fit” and had mutually agreed that he should step down.

The appointment of Mr Nasard, a former Heineken executive, was announced in October, and he joined the group at the end of December.

His background in consumer marketing is said to have found itself at odds with Kantar’s focus on data-driven services to business clients.

Kantar has a major global presence, employing about 30,000 people in countries such as China, Mexico, the UK and US.

It provides data on activities such as shopping behaviour and trends in electric vehicle adoption.

Last week, it announced the takeover of Numerator, a Chicago-based data analytics business owned by Vista Equity Partners, the buyout firm.

Kantar is majority-owned by Bain Capital, the private equity firm, which bought a controlling stake in the business from WPP Group in 2019 in a $4bn deal.

WPP retains a large minority shareholding.

Bain acted swiftly to remove Kantar’s previous chief executive, Eric Salama, meaning that it now faces having to find a second new permanent chief executive in less than 18 months.

Ian Griffiths, the former ITV finance chief who is Kantar’s deputy chief executive, is expected to become acting CEO but has no desire to take the job on a long-term basis, according to people close to the company.

The company is chaired by Adam Crozier, the former ITV, Royal Mail Group and Football Association chief executive.

Kantar declined to comment on Monday.

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