Independent digital marketing agency Orchard has announced the appointment of Kim Verbrugghe as its head of strategy. 

Verbrugghe joins Orchard following a five-year stint at Deepend. Her appointment signals the beginning of a new phase for Orchard, as she plans to implement a design thinking methodology across the entire strategy function. 

By applying an innovative model that uses methods from Google Sprint and human-centred design (HCD), Verbrugghe will shift the way Orchard approaches strategy to be more human-centric and collaborative while she oversees the building of the agency’s planning, social, content, customer experience and data offerings. 

Andrew Antoniou, managing partner at Orchard, said: “As a business, we need to continue to innovate, grow, stretch and push the jagged edges to stay at the forefront of what the market is demanding. 

“Kim will help us do that and more. She is super smart and has a history of driving change in the digital space.” 

Commenting on her new role, Verbrugghe said: “Orchard is all about ‘inventing better’, and internally, the agency is already human-focused. The people at Orchard are curious and keen listeners who apply deep thinking to find innovative solutions. 

“That, our cross-functional team and the flat structure of the agency makes this approach ideally suited to the business. With the HCD model, we can solve complex problems quickly, regardless of the channel.”