Online field and tabulation services are the inaugural offerings of the new venture, which boasts its own panel called Populuslive.

Diamond said the business will branch out into CATI in July, with an 80-seat call centre being planned for somewhere “within the UK”.

He joined the business last year after more than a decade with ICM Direct, which is the telephone and online data collection arm of the ICM Group and which counts Populus as a client.

Diamond said: “I’ve worked with the founders of Populus since the company’s launch and we share a passion for robust data solutions.  A modern data services business needs to respond quickly to the needs of clients and technological advances.  We are firmly committed to building a service with this at the forefront of our offer and our philosophy will be to have research method driven by innovation.”

Populus co-founder Andrew Cooper (pictured) said: “Patrick’s experience at building and operating online panels and communities as well as running a CATI agency makes him the perfect person to lead this exciting new development for Populus.”