The new office will be led by Phil Worthington, who was previously a client director for the firm in Thailand between 2005 and 2006, and Pham Chau Linh who has spent the past decade working in the Vietnamese MR industry.

Worthington (pictured) has worked as regional client director in Thailand and executive director of global product management and development for consumer research at Nielsen since his last spell with the company.

Millward Brown’s managing director for South East Asia, Gonzalo Fuentes, said: “After five years in Vietnam working with a licensee, having our own presence in Vietnam is now a priority for Millward Brown. It is an increasingly important market for our multinational clients and they need people who are focused full-time on Millward Brown solutions and areas of specialisation.

“Local clients also represent a great opportunity for us. Our commitment is to bring new approaches in the area of branding and communication insights.”

The expansion is subject to approval from Vietnamese authorities.