Eric Salama (pictured) was stabbed near Kew Gardens yesterday by a thief who was sitting in his car
The man stabbed 'near the heart' in an attempted car jacking near Kew Gardens has today been named as a top business executive and adviser to the government.
Eric Salama was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant as he walked to his car from a cafe on Sunday morning.
The 57-year-old suffered a stab wound to his chest from an 'enormous knife' and staggered back to the cafe, where he was given medical help until paramedics arrived.
Salama is said to be in a stable condition with non life threatening injuries.
He is the CEO of the global marketing firm KantarTNS and has served as an advisor to the Government on e-commerce and business.
He was also a speech writer and researcher for Labour's front bench on foreign affairs from 1984-1986.
Mr Salama is also a trustee of the British Museum and governor of Birbeck college in London.
A spokesman for Kantar said: 'We can confirm that Mr Salama was involved in the incident in Kew at the weekend. He is recovering well and our thoughts are with him and his family. We would like to request privacy for the family at this time.'
Mr Salama had been chatting with staff at Café Torrelli about the weekend's football just before 8am on Sunday before walking back to his car, a sporty Ford Focus RS.
Mr Salama was stabbed yesterday at Kew Gardens (pictured, forensics officers at the scene in west London yesterday)
When he returned to the car he found a thief sitting in the driver's seat and challenged him.
Mr Salama, who was described as 'a well educated, kind man', was knifed in the chest and had to crawl to the cafe to raise the alarm.
Shop owner Fasink Nizri, 39, said: 'It happened in a matter of minutes - two minutes - I saw blood, there was screaming. Eric is a decent man and has no problems with anybody.
'The person tried to steal his car; he asked 'what are you doing?' 'He was stabbed just near his heart, it was very bad - the knife was enormous - he was hit so hard that the knife it bent.
'Our staff managed to stem the bleeding, then we called his son and an ambulance, it was terrible,
