• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, January 27, 2009

Another top Madison Avenue researcher is moving on. Bruce Goerlich is out as the head of research at Publicis' ZenithOptimedia Group, MediaDailyNews has learned. His departure coincides with a restructuring of the agency's strategic resources and an "increased focus on ROI."

ZenithOptimedia, which is known as the "ROI agency," Goerlich is being succeeded by Tom Love, presently head of strategic resources - West Coast, who becomes executive vice president-strategic resources, North America reporting to Tim Jones, CEO ZenithOptimedia, North America.

The Strategic Resources unit manages and provides insights into all media research, syndicated and proprietary, consumer research, future media and technology trends, data management and investment modeling via its specialist company: Ninah.

"Bruce has made an outstanding contribution to the company over the last five years," Jones said in a statement announcing Goerlich's departure. " In particular, playing a key role in the development and application of proprietary tools in building our integrated communications planning practice and ROI capability to where it is today. He has also been an excellent and popular manager and an effective member of our executive management group here in the US. We wish Bruce all success for the future. In Tom Love, Bruce has groomed a very strong and worthy successor. Tom has a rich background working on both the client and agency side where he developed expertise in consumer research, data reporting and modeling. This skill set reflects our strategic focus for consumer based research aligned to our clients' brands, data management and for the continuing development of our ROI proposition going forward."

Prior to ZenithOptimedia, Goerlich held top media research posts at MediaVest and its predecessor agency, the media department of Benton & Bowles.

Goerlich was not available for comment.