TERRY WATERS has joined IT researcher the Yankee Group as president and CEO. Water was previously president of banking information firm Highline Financial, and has also served as chief marketing officer at Gartner.

Leapfrog Research & Planning has promoted SARAH BUCKLE and JANE SHARP to board directors. JUDY TAYLOR, CEO and co-founder of Leapfrog, has been promoted to managing partner of parent company the Cello Group.

USAMA FAYYAD has joined online ad network Adknowledge in an advisory role as chief scientist. Fayyad is CEO of data strategy and analytics Open Insights.

KIERON MATTHEWS is stepping down from his role as marketing director of the Internet Advertising Bureau UK at the end of the year. Matthews plans to launch a new company, The Digital Consultancy, together with Chris England, head of global planning at Digitas. The new firm will provide intelligence and strategy advice to brand owners.

Neuroscience firm EmSense has appointed JOHN POLICH to its science advisory board. Polich is a tenured professor at the molecular and integrative neurosciences department of the Scripps Research Institute, and an adjunct professor in the departments of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, San Diego.

Research consultancy 100%Cotton has appointed BECKY MORGAN as senior research analyst. Morgan joins from hardware retailer Screwfix, where she was a customer insight manager.

Panel Direct Online, the online sample division of US Focus Forward, has appointed MEG RYAN as sales director. Ryan was preiously director of client development for Online Survey Solutions.

Youth research specialist Dubit has promoted JONATHAN CLOUGH to head of research services, and hired three new staff. CLAIRE JOLLEY joins as research manager, JEN HOLMES joins as online content manager and JOHN CRICHTON joins as research assistant.