Consumer behaviour research firm Shoppercentric (UK) has hired Louise Lear as a director. Lear was previously a freelance qualitative researcher and before that worked for Research International and Synovate.

Kathy Ofsthun has joined Chadwick Martin Bailey (US) as an account director in the retail practice. She has spent 18 years in the research industry and worked with clients including Disney, the NFL, Converse and NBC Universal.

US customer acquisition firm Defender Direct has hired Valory Myers as marketing research director. She joins from Radius Global Market Research where she oversaw business development and account management initiatives for a range of clients.

Andy Buckley has been appointed head of research at consumer insight agency Join the Dots (UK). He joined the firm in 2008 and was previously in charge of the communities team.

Singapore-based recruitment agency Asia Research Recruitment as hired Wynne Cheng as a senior consultant. She previously worked in the research industry with Kantar Worldpanel in Taiwan and TNS-RI in China.

The UK Social Policy Association has named Sue Duncan, the country’s first ever chief government social researcher, as its new president. She is currently an independent social researcher and succeeds Nicholas Timmins in the role.

Jeff Simpson has been made SVP of retail and consumer brands at US-based targeted marketing agency Harte-Hanks. He will continue to oversee the marketing strategy and customer insight team at the firm.

In the US, MarketVision Research has promoted Allison Fulcher to research manager in the client services team and Greg Wurst to director of IT services.

Dulce Paredes has been appointed vice president of consumer insights and market research at Takasogo Flavours in the US. She was previously at Avon products where she led a global R&D consumer sciences group.