Verve forms new leadership as Baker departs

Baker (pictured), Verve’s managing director of research and consulting, has left the business after two years in the role.

Richard Preedy and Tim Martin have been promoted to executive director roles, with joint responsibility for the company’s European research operations. Preedy was appointed in 2014, overseeing client accounts including Samsung, John Lewis and Virgin Holidays, while Martin has been with the company since 2013, firstly as associate director and most recently as director of research and consulting.

Additionally, head of client service development Paul Lawson has been promoted to executive director, responsible for new business development, while Anna Williams, director of qualitative and co-creation, has also joined the executive board.

In the US, the company has appointed Ron Orgiefsky as senior vice-president. Based in Chicago, Orgiefsky joins Verve from Emnos USA, and has held leadership roles in professional services firms including Vestcom, Market Advantage and Nielsen. He will be responsible for new business development.

Jon Allison has also been promoted to vice-president, overseeing insights generation for the company’s current North American clients.

Adrian Harper-Tee, group managing director, Emma Beech, group senior vice-president of operations, and chief executive Andrew Cooper will continue to be part of both executive teams.

Cooper said: “We are reshaping our team ahead of a significant expansion of our proposition which will see a strong drive for growth across Europe and North America. Central to this is to recognise the talent we have developed within the business over the past 10 years as well as hiring in further skills to expand the breadth of what we deliver for our clients.”

He added: “We see the uncertainty that Brexit brings in the European marketplace as an opportunity for growth.”