He will specifically be looking at future markets and Cint’s NextGen solutions as well as supporting customer strategy for the global insights exchange platform, following its acquisition by Nordic Capital earlier this year.

Thornton (pictured) started Cint’s UK operations in 2009, when he joined as managing director. He has since risen within the business to global sales and operations director, then chief commercial officer.

Prior to joining Cint, Thornton worked at Ciao Surveys GmbH, formerly Greenfield Online, where he became managing director, after joining the business as research analyst in 1999.

Cint CEO, Morten Strand, said: “Richard’s experience and knowledge of the market research sector is vast and Cint has benefitted greatly from this, along with his visionary approach to the future of the company and the direction in which we take the business.”