-By Steve McClellan

NEW YORK Aegis Group, parent of media shops Carat and Vizeum and research firm Synovate, has named John Napier chairman of the board, effective July 17. He will succeed Colin Sharman, who is retiring after eight-plus years in the post.

Previously, Napier was chairman of SunAlliance Group, a major U.K. auto insurer. Earlier, he was CEO of AGB, the UK-based ratings and market research company.

London-based Aegis has separate chairman and CEO positions and Robert Lerwill, who has been chief executive since 2005, remains in that post.

"We have given the position of a new chairman very careful consideration and after a thorough search are delighted to have recruited John," said Sharman in a statement. "In him we have found someone with considerable board experience at the highest levels. He is a proven chairman who has delivered to shareholders, and brings international business skills and familiarity with marketing services."

Sharman has been Aegis' public voice in the company's ongoing effort to deny board representation to Vincent Bollore, the French businessman who has a 29 percent stake in the company. Bollore, however, is also chairman and controlling shareholder of Paris-based agency company Havas. Aegis has argued that allowing him to control board seats would be a conflict of interest.

So far, Aegis has succeeded in denying Bollore his quest. He has tried and failed five times to place two longtime associates on Aegis' board. Bollore has also said publicly that he wants the two companies to form a working alliance, although he has been vague on details.

Last month after he failed a fifth time to gain Aegis board seats, Bollore issued a statement indicating that he would keep trying, though he has also indicated that given other corporate commitments, a sixth attempt would be unlikely before year's end.