BVA BDRC, which was acquired by French research and consulting firm BVA Group in 2018 and operates in around 90 countries, said the appointments were made to create “opportunities for a wider pool of leaders”.

The shake-up will see BVA BDRC senior director Richard Stevenson, head of project management, Kiran Kuttappa-Gold and Lucy Watts, managing director financial and B2B, join the agency board of directors. 

Watts will also take on one of three new managing director positions, alongside promotions for existing board directors James Myring and James Bland (pictured) who will step into the other two MD roles. 

Each of the three managing directors will lead a division dedicated to research in specific sectors.

Watts will lead Financial and B2B, Myring will lead Media, and Bland will oversee ‘On the Move’, a division dedicated to complimentary ‘out of home’ sectors including travel, tourism, hospitality, and transportation.

Matt Costin, BVA BDRC CEO said “James, James and Richard have all made significant contributions to the business in recent years, underscoring our sector expertise, developing key client relationships and enhancing our offering across areas such as customer experience, brand and communications. 

“Kiran joined us recently but is already making an impact in optimising our operational efficiency, while Lucy brings an invaluable perspective from her previous roles in senior client-side positions in the financial sector.”

In January this year, the agency appointed Costin as chief executive and Caroline Ahmed as chief commercial officer, with co-founder Cris Tarrant taking on the role of chairman.

BVA BDRC Group in the UK consists of BDRC, mystery shopping and store observation firm ESA Retail; digital agency Alligator; operations business Perspective Research Services; and qual recruitment specialist Viewpoint.