Senior Verian Changes Boost AI and European Leadership

Verian, previously known as Kantar Public, has promoted Lithuania CEO Haroldas Brozaitis to the new role of Chief AI and Transformation Officer; hired Gareth Schnehage as CFO; and given new roles in the UK to Craig Watkins, Ben Humberstone and Ed Dunn.

Verian has offices across Europe, APAC and in the US, and works for governments and other public sector bodies, providing independent research, citizen engagement and advisory on evidence, evaluation and communications.

Brozaitis (pictured above) has helped build Verian's specialist AI and data capability, which is anchored in his Vilnius team, and will now lead the function's expansion across the group, with a remit to make ethical, purpose-built AI a standard part of how every Verian team designs and delivers work for clients. He comments: 'The clients we serve cannot rely on AI that impresses in a demo but doesn't hold up under institutional scrutiny. What we've shown is that AI, embedded into rigorous research practice, can compress delivery from weeks to days while strengthening the evidence base, not weakening it. Scaling that approach across Verian - globally and responsibly - is the heart of this new role.'

Watkins (pictured below), who is currently UK CEO, also takes a new position - in this case CEO of European Union and Multilateral Institutions (EUMI) & UK - overseeing the Brussels and Vilnius offices as well as the UK. Adjusting the UK leadership structure for this, the firm is bringing Ben Humberstone, currently Head of Populations Studies, into the role of MD for the UK market - he has more than twenty years' experience in public policy analysis and has been responsible for the Population Studies team in Verian for the last 5 years, leading major studies such as the Crime Survey for England and Wales, Understanding Society, and Consumer Price Index data collection for the ONS.

Stepping into Humberstone's previous role is Ed Dunn, who has served as the firm's Senior Director for Population Studies since 2022. He was previously Deputy Director and Chief Social Researcher at the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Schnehage joined as interim CFO last year and now makes the role permanent, having had a 'significant impact' as the company works towards its 2028 strategy and growth ambitions. A Chartered Accountant, he brings more than two decades of international financial leadership experience across multinational and private equity backed environments, including senior CFO and executive leadership roles leading complex finance transformations, M&A activity, and large scale restructurings across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Global CEO Philippa Edward says she is confident the changes 'will accelerate the impact of the company's work and support its ability to offer ever increasing value to customers.'

Web site: www.veriangroup.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.