Bland Named Walnut MD

In the UK, insight business Walnut Unlimited has promoted Chris Bland to the role of Managing Director, overseeing the day-to-day running of the agency. He takes over from Jane Rudling, who will continue in her role as Head of Unlimited's Insights & Analytics division.

Walnut Unlimited was formed in 2017 when marcoms network the Unlimited Group combined four of its existing insight businesses to form what it describes as a 'human understanding' agency with strengths in neuroscience, behavioural science, qualitative research and data analytics. Bland (pictured) joined the group in 2017 as Research Director, after a career which included three years at TNS and then nine at SPA Future Thinking, latterly as MD - MMT. He then moved to Basis Research before a brief spell as Head of Quant at The Source Insight.

In his new position, Bland will focus on evolving the agency's capabilities for clients. Rudling now oversees the division which comprises Walnut UNLIMITED and analytics and data science business Realise UNLIMITED. Rudling will also have a special focus on UNLIMITED's Human Understanding Lab - a platform that provides human-centric analytics and insight across the brand experience journey.

Commenting on Bland's promotion, Rudling said: 'Chris provides excellent counsel, champions evolution, and lives our Human Understanding proposition every day. Not only is he the ideal person to lead this charge, both from a cultural and capability perspective, but he also goes above and beyond to ensure our clients communicate effectively with their customers - which is what Walnut UNLIMITED is all about'.

Web site: www.walnutunlimited.com .

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