De Maagt (pictured) joined the firm last November to spearhead its push into marketing consulting but has left less than a year after because of “incompatibility between the heart and soul of InSites Consulting and my heart and soul” – essentially, the large role market research played in the offering.

He explained: “It is very clear that InSites Consulting wants to give marketing advice by bringing the consumer closer to the decision making unit of clients and to formulate recommendations based on research and market findings. But the core is still marketing research.

“We have a common passion (getting the consumer into the boardroom), but we are passionate about different things as well. I’m not a marketing researcher nor a research consultant. I might be a digital strategist, a presenter or a conversation consultant, and yes, I’m a sucker for great consumer data. But my core skills and main vision aren’t about research. Hearts and souls should be aligned, at all times. And that’s why InSites Consulting and I decided to follow our own and different paths.”

InSites Consulting boss Tim Duhamel wrote on the firm’s blog that a “pure consulting offering” without consumer input was “too far away from our DNA and vision on marketing” and wished de Maagt the best for the future.