Futuresource Consulting has appointed David Watkins as its new Director of Consumer Electronics & Media, marking a leadership shift as the research firm aims to strengthen its role in tracking and interpreting changes across entertainment, hardware and connected technology ecosystems.
Watkins brings more than 15 years of experience in consumer electronics research leadership. His background includes nearly a decade at Strategy Analytics, where he oversaw the Media & Intelligent Home Group, and more recently, a role as VP of Consumer Electronics at TechInsights, managing global research programs and guiding client strategy. He previously worked at Futuresource before relocating to France in 2011, making this move a return to familiar ground.
His appointment comes during a period of rapid change in the CE sector. Subscription models continue to grow, AI is increasingly embedded into consumer hardware and software, and the line between devices, services and content is blurring. Watkins will oversee Futuresource’s research portfolio covering segments such as streaming, smart home technology, wearables and connected devices, while working alongside the firm’s teams in AI, Pro AV, chip architecture and connectivity.
Watkins says his focus will be on ensuring the company’s analysis keeps pace with shifting industry demands. “Clients are continually asking more sophisticated questions,” he noted, pointing to the need for insight that connects product development, consumer behaviour and wider technological disruption. He also suggests the industry is entering a phase where user expectations are shifting more quickly than product categories can evolve. “Consumers don’t think in product categories anymore. They think in experiences.”
Futuresource Managing Director Chris McIntyre-Brown says Watkins’ return represents an opportunity to advance the firm’s strategic direction rather than maintain the status quo. He cites Watkins’ history in scaling research practices and adapting to market change as key motivations behind the hire.
The appointment signals Futuresource’s intent to expand its influence as the consumer electronics industry faces one of its most significant periods of transformation in more than a decade.
