Chime Hires Boost Digital MR Agency

UK group Chime Communications has announced five appointments in its Chime Insight & Engagement Group (CIE), including three at London-based Watermelon Research.

Chime says the hires reflect a number of significant new client wins for 2013. Watermelon was launched last March to apply digital solutions to research data collection and insight delivery, and provide an online reporting dashboard, and has already expanded with a number of hires in the summer.

Phil Corr joins Watermelon as a Director, having previously managed the online omnibus team at TNS UK and worked as Head of Operations for TNS New Zealand. Sophie Stanhope joins from Toluna where she was a Senior Project Executive, having worked previously at TNS. Wayne Laws joins as a Consultant from ESA Retail where he focused on Mystery Shopping using online techniques, and was previously part of the Insight team at Which?

Dani Verall joins Opinion Leader as an SRE, from Discovery Research where she worked across the financial, education, media and commercial sectors. Kerry Barringer, previously an RE at Turner Broadcasting Systems, joins Facts International.

CIE's Chief Exec Crispin Beale comments: 'These latest appointments show the high levels of commercial growth that the Group continues to drive. The reputation that Chime Insight & Engagement Group has built over the past few years has helped with the expansion of our business, which has, in turn, resulted in a significant rise in our position in the industry insight leagues tables. We are delighted to welcome all of our new joiners to the Group.'

CIE, which in addition to the above three firms includes Tree, Open Plan and Naked Eye, is online at www.cie.uk.com .