Hausruckinger will join the firm in September where he will work alongside his predecessor, Gérard Hermet, until January 2011 when he assume sole responsibility for the sector.

He joins the firm from customer loyalty firm Emnos where he was chief executive officer and has had spells working with Accenture, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Karstadt.

Hausruckinger’s predecessor Gérard Hermet has spent 26 years with GfK after joining in 1984 as managing director of GfK France. He was given a seat on the management board when the company was floated in 1999 and given responsibility for the retail and technology sector.

The 59-year old will leave the company at the end of the year and retire, although he will be on hand to advise the management board after his departure.

GfK CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst said: “Gérard Hermet’s great dedication has made retail and technology what is today, a real gem in our service offering. On behalf of the management board and all GfK employees, I would like to thank him wholeheartedly for his exceptional contribution to our company.”