The new group will be led by data scientist Mark Sear (pictured) who has joined the company from EMC Consulting where he was chief technology officer. He will report to Rani Raad, president, CNNIC.

The company said the group would focus on: predictive analytics for audience segmentation and engagement; artificial intelligence (AI) to help with digital advertising; and advanced audience measurement metrics.

The changes are in recognition of advertisers requirements in an increasingly multi-platform business.

Raad said: “For 35 years the pan-regional TV sector has relied on recall surveys, the power of the brand and smart commercial solutions to deliver value to clients and generate revenues. The audiences and data group is part of the transformation of our business to put data at the very heart of everything we do across all platforms. For our clients, this means greater insight into the planning, execution and reporting of campaigns to generate deeper engagement with CNN’s audiences and, ultimately, yield better results.”