ICM Group appoints Andrew Wiseman acting MD

Wiseman (pictured) joined the Creston-owned ICM Group (which is made up of ICM Research, ICM Direct and Fieldwork UK) to lead the telecoms, media and technology team in 2010. He was previously CEO of Optimisa Research, and has also worked at Verve and Nunwood.

Although Wiseman’s title is acting MD, the group said it was not “actively looking externally” for anyone else, and that Wiseman and the ICM board would review the position in the next few months with “a view to it being a permanent appointment”.

ICM added that the MD role had been created because the board decided that “there needs to be one individual leading the board”. The group was previously led by chairman Justin Sampson, but his role was scrapped last week in a cost-cutting move following “lower than expected sales” at the firm. At the time of the announcement ICM said that board directors Wiseman, James Turner, Rupert Blackwell, Jason Shaw and Steve Ogborn would lead the company.

Creston chairman Keith Bates said: “I give my full support to Andrew and the ICM board. With Andrew’s leadership, ICM continues its heritage of doing great work for clients and attracting the best talent in the industry.”

Creston said last month that it was reducing staff at ICM to cut costs, because of a shortfall of new business and delays to client projects. A number of ICM staff have left the agency over the past couple of years, including co-founder Nick Sparrow, with several ending up at rival pollster Populus.