Owens joined Pulsar as its first social media specialist in the company’s beta phase in 2010, before it launched in 2013. She has worked with clients across technology and media, including Twitter and Facebook, and universities, think tanks and charities.

At New River Insight, Owens will work with clients across social media research and strategy, building on her previous work on media virality, audience profiling and risk management. She will continue working with Pulsar on select projects.

Owens said: "One of my big passions is media strategy and helping organisations understand how the terrain is rapidly shifting, not just technologically but culturally as well.

"I'm also seeing significant interest in bringing wider data-driven insight into the design research process and brand strategy. There’s a need to marry ‘big data’ with what tech ethnographer Tricia Wang calls ‘thick data': the human, observational stuff, to create breakthrough ideas and products that draw on the full range of intelligence available. I'm looking forward to partnering with studios seeking to expand their thinking in this area."

Francesco D'Orazio, chief executive at Pulsar, said the company is not planning to replace Owens as she is still involved in some accounts at a strategic level. However, he said: "We're hiring a research manager and a research executive to support our growing audience insights and marketing strategy divisions in the third and fourth quarter."