Former LOCOG Director Joins ComRes Board

British polling and research specialist ComRes has appointed Chris Townsend OBE, the former Commercial Director of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), as a non-executive Director on its Board.

ComRes, which serves clients in the UK and internationally, is known for its polling work on behalf of The Independent and Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror, ITV News and the BBC. The firm was launched in 2003 as CommunicateResearch, and is a founder member of the British Polling Council.

Townsend (pictured) joins after seven years at LOCOG, where he secured more than £2bn through sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, licensing, retailing, broadcast and other sources. He was awarded the OBE in the 2012 New Year's Honours List for services to LOCOG. Earlier in his career, he served as Group Marketing Director at Transport for London (TfL), was Director Interactive Services at Telewest Broadband, Marketing Director: Digital TV at BskyB, Marketing Director BBC Subscription TV at the BBC, and Joint MD of ad agency DMB&B.

In his new role at ComRes, Townsend will work with founder Andrew Hawkins to develop the firm's corporate and international business.

Hawkins comments: 'Chris is a massive catch for us; the whole team are energised by the prospect of working with him to take ComRes through our next phase of growth. His appointment is a part of the strategy to position ComRes as the leading international research firm for reputation, public policy and communications.'

Web site: www.comres.co.uk .