Ingram is taking up the newly created role of president at three of Kantar's marketing firms: Added Value, the Henley Centre and Fusion5. She will report to Kantar chief executive Eric Salama.
In turn, her appointment will see the CEOs of those three companies -- Paul McGowan and Charles Broome at Added Value; Dave Moran at Fusion 5; and Sian Davies at Henley Centre -- report to her.
Ingram said: "In an ever increasingly competitive world, those companies that succeed are those that make use of unique insights. I am delighted to be working with three leading-edge organisations that help clients transform their business this way."
Kantar is the holding unit for what WPP calls its information, insight and consultancy businesses. It employs more than 7,000 people in 60 markets around the world.
It had revenues for 2002 of around 拢800m and also includes companies such as BMRB, BPRI, Center Partners, Diagnostic Research, Glendinning, Icon, IMRB, Kantar Media Research, Lightspeed, Management Ventures and Research International.
Ingram, 42, is one of the UK's most high-profile advertising executives and her departure from McCanns in London sent a shockwave around the industry.
Her role at McCanns was temporarily overseen by Ben Langdon, chairman and chief executive of McCann-Erickson EMEA, who himself left the agency in June.
Ingram paid the price for McCanns' lacklustre creative reputation and failure to get on the pitch list for the prestigious Orange account at the end of last year.
Ingram joined McCanns in October 2001 after 16 years at Saatchi & Saatchi, the last six years of which she was UK chief executive.
She has been described as one of the most powerful and influential women in the UK advertising scene, with exceptional client handling skills. Ingram is also chairman of London Tourist Board.
In her new role, Ingram will overhaul the businesses and add extra pulling power to their new-business potential, as her name alone is likely to help WPP attract clients to the lower-profile businesses.
She is the second high-profile woman to join Kantar recently. In March, Fiona McAnena stepped down as chief executive of WPP Group media agency Mediaedge:cia UK to take up the role of development director at WPP's insight and consultancy division Kantar.
McAnena was charged with extending Kantar's relationship with clients and selling the various Kantar brands.
According to Salama, Ingram's appointment is about WPP's strategic ambitions for the group and she has been briefed to expand the businesses internationally.
"We've got some of the best companies around, we're ambitious for them and we are willing to invest in order to stay ahead. Tamara is one of the most talented people in the industry and will be a huge catalyst in taking our companies to another level. She knows what clients need to make best use of work carried out on their behalf and how to build enduring relationships with them," Salama said.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .