Agency chairman Tony Langham told staff Hodson had “decided to step down from his role as research director” following a “strategic review of Opinium’s operations”.

Langham said Hodson will continue to work with the company in a consulting capacity. He added: “We’re sad to see him go.” No further details on the reasons for the departure were given.

Opinium launched in 2007, with Hodson at the helm and £400,000 in backing from an assortment of investors including the PR group Lansons, which Langham also chairs and which holds a 25% stake in the research business.

Hodson was a minor partner in the firm, but has since “divested that holding”, he told Research. He was previously research director of YouGov.

Opinium is led by managing director James Endersby, who credited Hodson with playing “a key role in our development”.

He said: “Opinium has had a great year so far with a 31% increase in sales for the trading year 2009/10, versus the same period in 2008/09. We have recently expanded our service offering to include an emphasis on B2B research, a dedicated panel of independent financial advisers and a bespoke Brand Check tool.”