Based in San Jose, California, Sims (pictured) will help to expand GfK’s existing client work and establish new business in the west coast region.

His responsibilities will span GfK’s marketing and consumer intelligence portfolio, including brand health, campaign effectiveness, customer segmentation and buyer journeys.

From 2015 to 2020, Sims led a GfK client-facing team focused on technology, telecoms, and digital media. In his newly created role, he will work with clients across industries but specialise in technology.

Sims left GfK three years ago to join Malwarebytes, where he was head of customer insights. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Symantec, Intel and Trend Micro.

Eric Villain, managing director of marketing effectiveness at GfK, said: “Kelly brings rich experience in connecting insights from a variety of sources and methods.”

Villain added that Sims would help GfK offer “an innovative but methodologically sound approach”.