Van Duyn takes up the position of managing director of Firefish Netherlands on 1 February. He’s spent the past six months as an independent consultant, but prior to that worked as qualitative insights director for Synovate and as an associate director for GfK Blue Moon Research in Australia.

Firefish CEO Jem Fawcus said that while the company already works internationally through a network of partners, establishing offices overseas was the “natural next step” in the firm’s development.

It was crowned the fastest-growing agency in Research’s November review of the UK research industry, with turnover up 59% to £6.3m in 2010.

Commenting on the appointment of Van Duyn, Fawcus said: “Kees is a great researcher who shares our belief that research should interpret and inspire, as well as inform. We have a policy of working with the brightest minds, wherever we find them, and Kees is the perfect person to lead our first office outside the UK.”