Tomchak joins from Number 10 where he has led digital marketing for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office.

Walczak will lead a new team – including product management, global partnerships and supply – focused on developing outcome-based media solutions.

Chief executive David Abraham said Channel 4 has been watching the virtual reality markets – currently worth around £800 million globally – with interest.

Sizmek has promoted Andrew Morsy to the newly created role of UK managing director.

The half-day conference will see senior media and creative planners, clients, media owners, data business and programmatic companies debate the role of the planner in an increasingly automated business.

A five year study conducted by Google and Kantar TNS shows that 74% of UK consumers use smartphones, compared to 51% in 2012.

Following a healthy festive period January was a weak month for commercial TV broadcasters, with combined revenue for ITV, Channel 4 and ITV Breakfast down -7.7% year-on-year.

New research from MC&C looking at marketers’ attitudes towards risk and the impacts of Brexit has revealed that only 17% believe leaving the EU will be of benefit to the UK economy.

Bloomberg Intelligence media analyst Tal Smoller tells Newsline what she thinks the big video advertising trends will be this year.

According to the latest ad blocking report from the IAB, the proportion of British adults currently using ad blockers has remained at 22% for the last year.