Rainey Leaving Virgin Media O2 to Start Insight Agency

David Watts is stepping up to lead the Insight team at UK broadband firm Virgin Media O2, as Claire Rainey leaves the role after eight years to form her own consultancy.

Rainey (pictured) was Head of Insight at O2 for three years and led the team through the change in brands and portfolio following O2's merger with Virgin Media in 2021 - she has since headed up the department at the merged VMO2. She leaves on 14th August to set up a consultancy for research agencies and client-side teams, Claire Rainey Consulting

Prior to O2 Rainey spent five years as an Insight Manager at Royal Mail Group, and nine years at Sky, latterly as Head of Strategic Research & Change.


Watts worked in insight roles at BT and Carphone Warehouse before joining O2 nine years ago - he is currently Head of Commercial Insight & Foresight, leading a team responsible for helping the business understand customers, markets and emerging change. Earlier roles included Research Executive at Carphone Warehouse and Insight Manager at BT.


Claire Rainey Consulting will work with agencies to give a client view, and client-side teams to drive impact and best practice. She tells DRNO: 'For agencies, I will be partnering to unlock growth by making smarter, more strategic improvements on how they manage and develop client relationships. I work with teams to strengthen client partnerships, review portfolio performance, align approaches with client culture, improve new business effectiveness, and assess end-to-end client management structures.

'For clients, having led teams at Sky and Virgin Media O2, I help clients increase influence, and deliver more value inside complex organisations. My focus will be around ensuring the value of insight is seen in large corporates, in an AI landscape.'

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