Greenbank will take up the role by the end of the year. At Channel 4, he will lead and develop the broadcaster’s commercial research strategy – working alongside the advertising sales team and with agencies and advertisers in order to “commercialise and maximise the insight from Channel 4’s viewer database of nine million registered viewers”, the company said.

He will also head up Channel 4’s audience measurement strategy across platforms, including engaging with joint industry committees and trade bodies such as BARB and UKOM.

Greenbank said: “These are truly exciting times for the TV industry, and Channel 4 in particular. The collision of audience, advertiser and consumer data has created a landscape ripe for insight generation. Having thoroughly enjoyed my last nine years at Arena alongside a great team, I now look forward to taking on this new challenge and working with agencies, advertisers and the wider industry.”

He joined Arena Media as a strategist in 2004, rising to become the agency’s head of intelligence.

At Channel 4, Greenbank will report to Gill Whitehead, director of audience technologies and insight.