Lopez (pictured) will lead the development of Flamingo’s behavioural science offer and will work across its client base and business to embed the practice. She will also lead its social purpose specialist unit. 

She joined WPP’s Kantar in 2012 and a year later she was made head of qualitative practice at TNS BMRB (now Kantar Public UK). She was promoted to managing director and then CEO in 2015.

At Flamingo, part of Omnicom DAS, she will be part of the senior leadership based in its London office but working across international clients.

Her appointment fits with Flamingo’s strategy of bringing specialist disciplines in-house. Behavioural and social strategy is the latest addition to semiotics, cultural intelligence, digital forensics, social purpose, and most recently health.

Edny Tappy and Sam Gomez, Co-CEOs Flamingo London said: “We are delighted that Desirée has decided to join Flamingo, bringing her wealth of academic and commercial experience to our growing business.

“Behaviour change and applied cognitive science are key components of understanding consumer and citizen choices, and we want to ensure that it is absolutely embedded at the core of our business. When we met Desirée we knew that there was no one else for it.”