Virtanen (pictured) will be based in London and will help lead a further expansion of the company’s presence in Europe.

Before joining Behaviorally, Virtanen was commercial director at YouGov and has also spent 17 years at Kantar, including nine years in Kantar’s Europanel division.

Virtanen’s appointment follows the hiring of Inna Merenkova as managing director, Europe, by Behaviorally earlier this year. Behaviorally was formerly known as PRS in Vivo US.

Merenkova said of Virtanen’s appointment: “We are pleased to welcome Kai to our growing European team.

“His extensive experience supporting brands that run the spectrum of consumer products, and his understanding of the impact of the digital retail revolution on shopper insights made him a perfect candidate to round out the group supporting our clients’ efforts to drive shopper growth.”