Ipsos' Brian Gosschalk to Retire after 44 Years

Brian Gosschalk, former CEO of MORI and Head of the President's Office for Ipsos in Paris, is stepping down after nearly 44 years with the business. He will be consulting for Ipsos during the next six months, after which he plans to get involved with the not-for-profit sector.

An Oxford graduate, Gosschalk (pictured) worked in the Special Current Affairs Unit of the BBC and also at Nuffield College, before joining MORI in 1979. He became Head of MORI's Social and Political Unit, prior to being appointed MD in 1994, and then CEO. During this time he led two management buyouts, the first - from MORI's founder Bob Worcester - valued at £30m and backed by 3i, and the second by private equity firm Isis.

After MORI was acquired by Ipsos in 2005, in a deal valuing the company at around £88m, Gosschalk was named CEO of the combined company in the UK, Ipsos MORI, and was responsible for overseeing the merger of the two operations. Three years later, he was promoted to the role of CEO of Ipsos Western Europe, with a seat on the group's Management Board with responsibility for Global Public Affairs. He subsequently spent nine years in Paris, working closely with Ipsos co-founders Didier Truchot and the late Jean-Marc Lech as Head of the President's Office.

From 1995 to 1996, Gosschalk was seconded to the UK's Cabinet Office to conduct an independent review of the programme for market testing and contracting out of government services. He also served as President of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) in 2001-2; was Chair of the Social Research Association (SRA) in the mid-90s; a member of Ipsos' main Board from 2010; and he currently sits on the Advisory Council of the French Chamber of Great Britain.

Gosschalk says he leaves the company with mixed feelings. 'It's been a fascinating journey in a sector I care passionately about, and which has changed beyond recognition from the days when dinosaurs like me began our careers', he explains.

Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos, comments: 'Brian recruited me in 1987 after I left university and I have worked with him ever since. I obviously think he makes very good judgements about people: his shrewd understanding of Ipsos and its people, and his very sensible advice has been hugely valuable to many of us. The standing ovation he received a few years ago when he stood down as Didier Truchot's Chief of Staff reflects the affection he is held in by people all across Ipsos. Brian can be incredibly proud of having helped shape so many people's careers, Ipsos itself and the overall practice of social and political research in the UK'.

Web site: www.ipsos.com .

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