PRS Splits Qual and Quant Services

In London, BDRC's telephone and online research agency Perspective Research Services (PRS) has split its qualitative and quantitative offerings to create two new divisions, and promoted Ger-Jan van der Maten and Tom Stacey to lead them.

PRS was founded by husband and wife team Richard and Jemma Sheldrake in 1996, and was acquired by B2B MR agency BDRC in 2007. Based in two central London offices (in Angel, Islington and Holborn), PRS has more than 120 CATI stations and a nationwide face-to-face field force of 900.

The firm has named van der Maten Managing Director of the new Qualitative and Online division, based in the Holborn office. He takes responsibility for all qualitative and online aspects of the business, including the Holborn Focus viewing facility, mystery shopping and digital research. van der Maten began his career at NOP Research in 1997, and then joined PRS in 2001 as Operations Director, prior to becoming Finance and Management Director in 2011.

Stacey, who becomes MD of the Quantitative division, based in Angel, is responsible for all quant aspects of the business including telephone, face-to-face and DP. He began his career with FDS International in 1996, before moving to Continental Research - here he served as Research Director in the Telecoms division before becoming Operations Director in early 2004, and continuing in this role after BDRC acquired Continental in 2007.

Commenting on the changes, Richard Sheldrake (pictured) said: 'I am delighted that the business has grown to the extent that it needs to separate into these two divisions. It also provides the perfect opportunity to reward the excellent work both Tom and Ger-Jan have done over the years helping us to get to this position. The new structure helps Perspective to face the challenges facing data collection in the future'.

Web site: www.perspectivemr.co.uk .