New TNS chief executive Lowden lays out five-year strategy

Lowden revealed TNS' main strategy is to "improve its client services to help clients deal with complex types of research situations and offer more business insight". 

To add value to its clients local and international needs, TNS is organising its regional and global businesses to create stronger partnerships, shared objectives and more valuable insights.

For the TNS global network, this means building global partnership account teams, developing an international project management group and launching a strategy focused on innovation.

Heading up the division is former Southern Europe and Latin America head Pedro Ros, who has been promoted to global clients and sectors managing director within TNS' custom business. 

The newly formed consumer sector will be headed up by Stephen Factor, former TNS UK Custom managing director, while Mike Penford, former strategic development director, will take on the new role of director for global sales and development.

TNS is also restructuring its regional custom business so the group will be organised around three regions: North America; Europe; and three sub regions within Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.

Bruno Hoetzel, TNS Germany head, will take on the new role of managing director for Europe while Jamie Hall, TNS Asia Pacific managing director, will have the responsibility for leading the Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa markets which have witnessed 10% growth in the past two years.

To strengthen these changes, Trevor Richards, global head of brand and advertising, becomes managing director of TNS' UK and Ireland custom business.

In addition, in a few weeks the group will be appointing a UK-based director of strategic development, most likely to be an internal candidate, who will be responsible for gestating new business tools and methods across the company.

Lowden also set out TNS's four key principles that will steer the company's course over the next five years -- client orientation, service excellence, expertise and innovation and people development.

Lowden also revealed plans to expand its online panel, 6th Dimension, as well as building on its syndicated services through WorldPanel and set up a training academy to improve its employees sales and research knowledge.

The group also hinted that its advertising monitoring services through TNS' Media Intelligence as well as is news monitoring and media planning will receive significant investment.

Lowden's strategy was first announced at a senior management meeting in Lisbon, where 285 top TNS executives from around the world gathered to discuss the future of the company.

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This article was first published on brandrepublic.com