The centre will help roll out research tools to new markets and will initially focus on sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG).

Other tools from Verve Australia covering areas such as culture and trends, semiotics, social intelligence and innovation will also be disseminated globally.

Alexander-Head (pictured) will act as head of global innovation in his role leading the centre.

Before joining Verve, Alexander-Head was director of innovation at Potentiate and is the founder of online groceries firm Mother Hubbard. He has also worked at Qualtrics and Vision Critical.

The new centre follows the opening of a Centre of Research Excellence in Johannesburg, South Africa, earlier this year.

Last month Verve hired Kelly McKnight as executive director to build its culture and trends, semiotics and social intelligence practice.

Andrew Cooper, founder and chief executive at Verve, said: “There is a strong symmetry with our global Centre of Research Excellence in Johannesburg.

“Our organic growth model is being developed around a single global team approach – bringing the best of our skills in each of our territories and rolling these out across our markets in a truly joined-up way.”