Paul Edwards Returns to Research International

Publicis Chief Strategy Officer Paul Edwards is to return to Research International (RI), where he began his agency career. He takes the role of UK Chairman and will report to RI Chief Executive Mark Cranmer.

He hopes to take up the post by late summer, and will partner RI UK's CEO Julian Bond to direct and shape the company's client offer. Bond has spent his entire career with RI and cites Edwards as an early inspiration.

Earlier in the month it was announced that Edwards and a number of other senior staff would be leaving their roles at advertising and media services conglomerate Publicis as part of the firm's management re-structure. Prior to joining the firm in September 2004, his career included planning roles at ad agencies BBH, Lowe and Y&R, and he also held the position of Chairman and Chief Executive of The Henley Centre (also part of the Kantar Group). His clientside roles have included working for Unilever, Smith & Nephew, and Pedigree Petfoods before moving into advertising.

Commenting on Edward's appointment, Cranmer said: 'I'm ecstatic to have persuaded Paul to come back to the world of market research and help us with the opportunity we have here at RI. Paul has exceptional experience in research and communications and he brings us the blend of skills we need as we redefine clients' expectations of a market research agency.'

Edwards said that the opportunity was too enticing to pass on and added: 'I have enormous affection for the heritage and authority for the RI business. Our opportunity is now to translate that power into the potent consumer solutions that clients increasingly need for their markets.'

This is the latest in a number of senior appointments Cranmer has made since he joined a year ago (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5201.htm ). These include Nadim Sadek (as Worldwide Commercial and Strategy Director) who joined from qualitative research agency Sadek Wynberg Millward Brown; Eric Dingman (Operations Director) from Inbev; and Mark Wilson (Senior Account Director on Waitrose) from Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy.

RI UK has 270 employees, is the largest office of the 40 country network and is online at www.research-int.com .