New Head of Insights for Thinks' Sister Company Madano

London-based communications consultancy Madano has appointed Chris Smith as Director, Head of Insights. The firm is part of Montreal, Canada-based agency group Avenir Global, which recently acquired opinion and market research firm Thinks Insight & Strategy.

Avenir's 1,000 staff in 22 locations across Canada, the US, Europe and the Middle East make it a top 25 global comms company. The group is home to Canadian PR firm NATIONAL Public Relations, as well as insights and media strategy / execution agency Time & Space, and half a dozen other marketing and comms firms. It bought Thinks around three months ago.

Madano is an insight-based creative communications agency. Smith (pictured) joined PR firm Red Consultancy in 2011 as a Digital Account Director, then left in 2016 for a five-year stint at Ketchum comms where he was Practice Director. He returned to Red four years ago with the title of Head of Data and Insights. In his new role he will lead a team working with social science, data science and AI analytics to provide evidence and data driving the firm's PR work.

Online at www.madano.com .