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Judith Langer, president and founder of New York qualitative research firm Langer Associates, has been named a senior vice president of Roper Starch Worldwide and director of the newly-formed Roper/Langer Qualitative Division of Roper Starch Worldwide.

Nancy K. Shimamoto has been named manager, Asian business strategy, at Cheskin Research, Redwood Shores, Calif.

Duncan Pollock has left Stamford, Conn.-based FocusVision Worldwide, Inc., to return to the advertising and marketing services field. With Pollock’s departure, John Houlahan will re-assume the title of president and continue as chairman and CEO.

Memphis, Tenn.-based research firm Food Insights has appointed Rick Seavey senior vice president for management services.

Calabasas, Calif.-based Informa Research Services, Inc., has appointed Michael D. Marselli to lead the firm’s new syndicated business market research division.

Los Angeles research firm C.A. Walker & Associates has named Debbie Kreger and Kevin Gentry vice president.

In November Ceridian Corporation and its Arbitron division announced the members of Arbitron’s board of directors who will take office at the time of Arbitron’s spin-off from Ceridian and will guide the strategic direction of Arbitron following the completion of the spin-off. (After the transaction, Ceridian Corporation will be comprised of its human resources services businesses and Comdata business.) Stephen B. Morris, president of Ceridian’s Arbitron business, will be named president and chief executive officer of Arbitron Inc. and will become a member of Arbitron’s board of directors. Arbitron will continue to be headquartered in New York, with a research and operations center located in Columbia, Md. In addition to Morris, the members of the Arbitron board following the spin-off transaction will be: Lawrence Perlman, recently retired from Ceridian Corporation after serving as chairman and chief executive officer; Erica Farber, publisher and CEO of Radio and Records; Kenneth Gorman, principal and co-owner of Apollo Partners Ltd.; Philip Guarascio, vice president and general manager of General Motors Corporation in charge of North America advertising and corporate marketing; Larry Kittelberger, senior vice president and chief information officer of Lucent; Luis Nogales, senior adviser, Private Equity Group, Deutsche Bank and president of Nogales Partners; and Richard Post, managing partner of Lonetree Capital Partners.

Beth Strackbein has been promoted to vice president at Wirthlin Worldwide, a McLean, Va., research firm. Sandra Bauman has also been promoted to vice president.

London-based Internet research firm NetValue has appointed Mike Read vice president of custom panels.

Simmons Market Research Bureau has named Evan Goldfarb executive vice president, marketing and new business development.

Maritz Marketing Research Inc., St. Louis, has hired Michael Saletta as an account manager for the Telecom Research Group. He will be based in Oakbrook, Ill.

SPSS Inc., Chicago, has named Ellen Smith Gajda as national director, federal systems and Steve Greenberg as national director, business development for the public sector.

RFL Communications, Inc., publisher of the Research Business Report, has selected Douglas Rivers, CEO of Knowledge Networks, Menlo Park, Calif., as market research executive of the year.

London-based Taylor Nelson Sofres has appointed Andrew Czarnowski retail director of its Superpanel division. He replaces Allan Breese, who is now international account director for Europanel, a joint venture between TNS and GfK.

Westport, Conn.-based research firm IMS Health has named David Thomas chairman of the board and CEO. In addition, Gilles Pajot has been named executive vice president of the corporation, the first executive named to that position at the firm. And Gary Noon has been named president of IMS Health North America.