Kevin Steeds, former executive chairman of London research company Cello Group , died of cancer in December 2008.

Ellen Scherr has joined Maritz Research, St. Louis, as account manager, retail sector. Dorothy Long has been named research manager, pharmaceuticals group.

London research company YouGov has appointed Todd Davis as consulting director, financial services, and Molly Millar as senior research executive, media consulting division.

Angus Reid Strategies, a Vancouver, B.C., research company, has hired Jeff Vidler as senior vice president and managing director, radio research division.

Vancouver, B.C., research company Vision Critical Inc. has hired Eric Brooke as vice president, marketing and communications.

Omaha, Neb., research company infoGroup has named Roger S. Siboni and Thomas L. Thomas independent directors of its board of directors.

Abt Associates, a Cambridge, Mass., research company, has hired John Osika as a principal associate and advisor, HIV/AIDS and infectious disease. Abt Associates has also promoted Scott Royal to division vice president, health.

Dexterity, a Chennai, India, research company, has named Palanivel Kuppusamy chairman and CEO. The company’s former chairman and CEO, Anantha Krishnan , has moved into a strategic advisor role.

Gongos Research, Auburn Hills, Mich., has hired Michael Francesco Alioto as vice president, analytics, and as a member of the Gongos Research leadership team. Additionally, Mitch Sanders has been selected to lead Gongos’ Consumer Village panel.

DunnhumbyUSA, a Cincinnati research company, has hired Kirk Jackson as primary marketing research associate, custom insight.

ABI Research, New York, has hired Jeff Orr as senior analyst, mobile content. Orr will be based in ABI’s Sacramento, Calif., office. Additionally, ABI has appointed George Perros as senior analyst, location aware services, telematics and navigation.

Kathryn Collins has joined New York research company TNS North America as senior vice president, employee engagement. Collins will be based in Toledo, Ohio.

Synovate Malaysia, a division of Chicago research company Synovate, has hired Christina Lee as research director, qualitative division.

Patricia Sikora has joined Hansa|GCR, a Portland, Ore., research company, as director, client services, and will be based in Denver. Paul Johnson has also been named director, client services, and will be based in San Francisco. Finally, Dan Llanes has been named director, analytics, and will be based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Eileen Lambourne has been named director at Ipsos MORI North , a Manchester, U.K., division of Paris-based research company Ipsos.

Western Wats, an Orem, Utah, research company, has hired Bob Ferro as vice president, business development.

London research company Kadence has promoted Keiron Mathews to U.K. managing director.

Echo Research, London, has hired Ed Coke as global sector head, financial and professional services; Frank Gabbert as vice president and director, health care; and Tim Morley as company secretary and director, group finance.

Mobile Marketing Association, New York, has appointed Mike Wehrs as president and CEO.

Knowledge Networks (KN), a Menlo Park, Calif., research company, has hired Henry Laura as vice president, media. Laura will be based in KN’s New York office.

Cambridge, Mass., research firm Fuld & Company has appointed Wayne Rosenkrans as vice president, consulting, pharmaceutical and health care industries.

User Vision, an Edinburgh, Scotland, research company has hired Patrycja Kazmierczak as usability consultant.

Enterprise Management Associates, a Boulder, Colo., research company has hired Curtis Breville as senior analyst.

LRA Worldwide Inc., a Horsham, Pa., research company, has hired Kevin Conley as sports research consultant and Jeff Ganis as senior research consultant.

Michael P. Skarzynski has been named president and CEO of New York research company Arbitron Inc. Skarzynski has also been appointed to Arbitron’s board of directors.

Survey Sampling International, a Shelton, Conn., research company, has named Kees de Jong CEO and Dennis J. Beckingham president and CFO.

GfK Custom Research North America, a New York division of Nuremberg, Germany, research company The GfK Group, has hired Holly Heline Jarrell as group managing director, GfK Roper Consulting and GfK Public Affairs and Media.

Anna Hamon has joined Voodoo Research , Marleybone, U.K., as a research executive.

Acxiom, a Little Rock, Ark., research company, has appointed Claire Pribula as vice president, Asia-Pacific sales. Pribula will be based in Singapore.

Synergy Research Group, Reno, Nev., has hired Jeff Doyle as vice president, research.

Schlesinger Associates, an Edison, N.J., research company, has made several personnel changes. Nancy Ashmore has been promoted to managing director, overseeing the Houston and Dallas facilities; Ashmore will be based in Dallas. Pam Lintner has been promoted to research director; Lintner will be based in Chicago. Jason Horine has assumed Lintner’s previous position as managing director, San Francisco facility. Bj Kirschner has been promoted to lead Schlesinger’s global management solutions (GMS) along with Laura Haxton, research director, GMS. Nadine Casaletto has also been promoted to project director, GMS.

Denver research company iModerate has hired Adam Henderson as senior director, moderating services.

Maryland Marketing Source Inc., a Randallstown, Md., research company, has promoted Michelle Finzel to vice president, full-service research.

MI Surveys, a Cincinnati research company, has promoted Adam Jolley to senior account executive and Amy Hungler to senior project manager.

The Natural Marketing Institute, a Harleysville, Pa., research company, has hired Jorge Santos as vice president, strategic consulting. Santos will be based in Ontario.