ESOMAR Names New President

Industry association ESOMAR has elected Laurent Flores as its new President for the two-year term from January 2015 to December 2016. He will be supported by newly elected Vice President David Smith.

Flores (pictured) recently set up Paris-based SLPV Analytics, having previously founded brand measurement specialist CRM Metrix, later acquired by online consumer specialist MetrixLab. Earlier, he led Ipsos-ASI's Interactive division, and he worked at Millward Brown. In addition, he teaches at INSEEC, and is Associate Professor of Marketing at the Sorbonne in Paris.

An ESOMAR member since 1995 and a council member since 2010, Flores will replace Dan Foreman, who will remain on council in an ex-officio capacity as past President for the 2015/2016 term.

Smith has run his own marketing strategy consultancy DVL Smith since 1990, having previously served as Chairman and CEO of Illuminas. He is also a Professor at the University of Hertfordshire Business School, and a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. Smith has been an ESOMAR member since 1992 and served on the council since 2009. In 2007, he won the prestigious ESOMAR John Downham Award for Marketing Excellence.

Finn Raben, ESOMAR Director General, commented: 'Both Laurent and David bring immense professional experience to their new positions, which will benefit ESOMAR and our industry enormously in the years to come.'

The following eight candidates were also elected to the ESOMAR Council for the 2015/2016 term:

• David Bakken - founder of Foreseeable Futures Group (US)
• Joaquim Bretcha - Director Europe and Asia at Netquest (Spain)
• Anne-Sophie Damelincourt - Director of Blue Lemon Qualitative Research (France)
• Kristin Luck - President of Decipher (US)
• Pervin Olgun - founder of Barem Research (Turkey)
• BV Pradeep -Global VP, Consumer & Market Insight at Unilever (Singapore)
• Niels Schillewaert - co-founder of InSites Consulting (US), and
• Pieter Paul Verheggen - MD of Motivaction (Netherlands).

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.