Synovate Reorganises in Scandinavia and China

Synovate has today announced major organisational changes in China and in Scandinavia, with a number of senior moves and appointments.

In Scandinavia the company is establishing pan-regional key account teams in response to clients needs to implement projects across the region, with insight requirements in one market often being mirrored in the others.

Appointments in Scandinavia include Ulf Andersen who will continue to serve as Managing Director Norway but will now also be CEO Scandinavian Business Units; and Bjorn Jacobsen who has been promoted to Commercial Director for Synovate Norway.

Andersen joined Synovate in 2008 as MD for Norway and in January 2010 also took on overall responsibility for Synovate Denmark, working with Danish MD Klaus Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen and Synovate Sweden MD Karin Nelsson will continue to lead their local businesses with support and coaching from Andersen.

Jacobsen will manage all the research departments in Norway, and take overall leadership of client development there.

Peter Huijboom, CEO for Synovate Western Europe comments: 'I'm thrilled that Ulf has taken on the CEO role for our Scandinavian business units here at Synovate. He has an extensive and varied background in research management, leading everything from departments, global offerings and country business units.'


Meanwhile Synovate has restructured its senior leadership team and operations in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to form a new Greater China business unit, which includes all of the company's offices in these three markets: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Hong Kong and Taipei.

Eliza Wong has been named CEO for Synovate Greater China and will be leading this new business unit. She will oversee the existing leadership teams in the region. She joined the firm in 2005 as Operations Director, having previously spent time at ACNielsen and Environics West in both Hong Kong and Canada.

Global CEO Robert Philpott says Wong is 'the ideal choice to lead Synovate's next phase of growth' in the region, adding: 'Greater China is filled with opportunities for many of our global and local clients, and Eliza has an unwavering energy and passion for them and our business.'

Of the changes more generally, Philpott comments: 'many of our clients are organised in this way, so it only makes sense for us to mirror their structure to ensure synergies and full coordination. It also allows us to leverage the economies and benefits of scale as well as harness the collective capability and expertise we have in these markets.'

Web site: www.synovate.com .

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

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