GERMANY— The former MD of the German arm of UK research agency Simpson Carpenter has launched a new firm.

Detlef Struck, who joined Simpson Carpenter to lead the German division in 2004 and left earlier this year, is now a director at newly founded Munich-based agency Alegas, a full-service agency offering to “fill the gap between traditional market research and consultancy”.

Meanwhile Simpson Carpenter’s German business is on hiatus until Struck’s replacement starts work in January 2009.

Managing director Tom Simpson said the new country manager, who has not yet been named, will divide his time between the UK and Germany for the first year, with a view to re-opening a German office in 2010.

“One of the reasons we felt the German venture didn’t work as well as we’d hoped was a lack of close relationships between the two teams,” said Simpson. “The idea is for him to get to know everybody here, then commit to Germany full-time once we’ve established those links.”

Author: Robert Bain

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Simpson Carpenter moves into European market