KPMG Acuity Hires Three in Australia

KPMG Acuity, the insights practice of professional services firm KPMG Australia, has announced the hiring of former AMR exec Nick Deverson as a Director; Mike Stokes as a Manager; and Alanna Beracochea as a Consultant.

The division launched in the summer, following KPMG's acquisition of Sydney-based market research firm Acuity Research and Insights. Deverson (pictured) joins from WPP-owned research consultancy AMR, where he worked for the past two years, latterly as Head of Commercial. Before this, he was MD of IT MR consultancy Code Market Research; co-owned technology-focused research firm Capitalis; and spent ten years spent as a researcher and analyst with the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Amanda Hicks, founder of Acuity and now Partner at KPMG Acuity, said: 'Nick is at the top of his game, and brings an exceptional mix of research expertise and research agency management skills to the table. His many years of experience in uncovering insight, and communicating in a language that can shape business strategy, will be invaluable to KPMG Acuity as we embark upon an ambitious growth plan'.

Stokes joins after six years at Nielsen, the final two spent as commercial leader for the UK's Assortment Optimisation business. Beracochea spent nearly seven years at Acuity Research & Insights, prior to its takeover by KPMG. KPMG Acuity is currently hiring for new roles in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Web site: www.kpmg.co.au .