• by Wayne Friedman , November 10, 2005

After a year-long search to fill the ranks for its research activities, Carat Americas has hired Amy Drill, in a new position as senior vp of media innovation development for Carat Insight, Carat's research unit.

Drill comes from Ipsos Insight, a global customer custom research company, where she was senior vp of product development and marketing. She was responsible for Ipsos' research and development and innovation strategy. Before that, Drill was the director of interactive strategy at Ogilvy, where she worked on e-business strategy and development of strategic interactive business.

Drill takes a top research job at Carat, which was last run by Joanne Burke, who left the agency 11 months ago. Burke was executive vice president and managing director of Carat Insight.

This completes Carat's move for all its research activities. Months ago, the media agency hired Johan Sachs as senior vp of consumer strategies for Carat. Both Sachs and Drill will report to Ray Warren, president of Carat Media Group Americas.

With the hiring of Drill, Ray Warren, president of Carat Media Group Americas, says the research department is now reorganized into essentially two areas--data research tools and consumer strategies. Warren believes that an agency needs more than one person running these areas. "We had one person doing both jobs," said Warren, in reference to Burke. "This is a new team."

Warren said in a press release that Drill will help push Carat into new areas, "especially as we expand and increase our marketplace advantage in communications planning services."