Von Felkerzam (pictured) reports directly to the media agency’s global research director and EVP Kate Sirkin, and also has dotted reporting lines in to regional CEOs in Greater China, South Asia, South East Asia and Australia.

Sirkin described research and analytics as “critical” to Starcom’s evolution “into an agency of the future”. She said: “With Joanna’s expertise, I am confident of her ability to lead her team in providing actionable insights about consumers and their connections with brands to deliver more human and future-focused brand experience platforms.”

Von Felkerzam has been with Starcom for the past nine years, originally in Canada before moving to Hong Kong. Recent examples of her work include a study of how the global recession affected Asian consumers and a soon-to-be-released eight-market study with Microsoft Advertising looking at the online lives of mums in the region.

She also manages the agency’s regional IntenTrack study, which measures consumer purchase intent with a view to predicting buying behaviour.