David Pearmain Joins Former Colleagues at Impact

In the UK, Holden Pearmain co-founder David Pearmain has returned to agency life after a year as a consultant, joining Impact Research, a company started by two of his former employees.

Darryl Swift and Michael Brainch left Holden Pearmain only a year ago and started Impact in August. The agency has taken off rapidly, moved into office premises in Walton-on-Thames with room for expansion, and is conducting both tracker and ad hoc work for a number of blue chip clients in the media, retail and health & personal care sectors. Pearmain (pictured) is the third permanent, full-time member of the team although temporary and part-time help has already been brought in to cope with the heavy workload, and two more full-time execs are currently being recruited.

Pearmain, who will be a partner in Impact Research with the job title Director of Advanced Analytics, spent ten years at the company he founded with David Holden in March 2000, and has worked for it on retainer in addition to other consultancy projects over the past 12 months. Prior to forming Holden Pearmain, he worked for two years as Director of Advanced Methods at Harris Research (later part of TNS).

Pearmain says his latest move was motivated by a desire for 'closer involvement in market research', and adds: 'I'm excited at the challenge of creating a new business but getting the right balance of powerful, effective research and commercial success.'

Swift, who leads business development for the company, told DRNO that in addition to heading up Impact's analytics offer, Pearmain will maintain a high profile at industry events and produce papers on the application of advanced methods in research, while the company as a whole looks to develop its client base in FMCG, health and personal care. It will also look to build on its success in winning customer satisfaction trackers, as well as ad hoc work.

Much of the firm's current research is conducted online, via a partnership with panels and technology company Toluna, with face-to-face projects the other main component. Swift says innovation is one of the firm's key values, and in keeping with this, Impact is working with Toluna to develop proprietary software - details are under wraps at present. He concludes: 'We've had a brilliant start to Impact Research, and now with David Pearmain joining us we are very confident about the future. We have a team of great researchers and are determined to be a great company to work for or work with, whether employee, client or supplier.'

Impact is online at www.impactmr.com .