Top UK Client Researchers Choose Independence

Two of the UK's top client side research and insight professionals who left their jobs earlier in the year have resurfaced as independent consultants. John Markham was until recently Director of Global Business Insights at Nokia and Gaye Myatt spent nine years as Director of Consumer Insight at GlaxoSmithKline.

Markham spent twelve years at the mobile phone giant, establishing and leading its worldwide Marketing Research Group and playing a leading role in 'ensuring that customer and market knowledge is truly embedded in decision-making processes'. He has also worked with industry bodies including AURA, ESOMAR, the MRS and the US-based Market Research Executive Board, and says being an independent will enable him to offer consulting and coaching totally tailored to the client's needs. 'In many client organisations there remains a great opportunity to use market research more effectively, to genuinely influence business decisions... my client-side experience allows me to empathise with their issues in a different way from most research agencies'.

Myatt, who was Group Research Manager for Cosmetics and Fragrances at Procter & Gamble before joining GlaxoSmithKline, says the move to independence will empower her to help clients 'see the wood for the trees'. 'Gaining insights is more complicated now as consumers become more fragmented and there are a host of different techniques and information sources. Clients may not know how to integrate all of this and pull out actionable insights'.

The UK's Independent Consultants Group (ICG) is in good health, with membership up 15% in 2005 to 230 members, including the above and other recent high profile new arrivals. One example is Susan Rogers, formerly Head of Market and Strategic Planning at Kellogg's and Global Marketing Services Director at ICI Paints, and now running Rogers International. In a keynote address to the recent BMRA Conference, Rogers told delegates 'Many research agencies just don't talk the same language as their customers, due to their lack of personnel with either significant first hand client experience or broader marketing knowledge', adding: 'this may ultimately be the downfall of the larger organisations and it offers a tremendous opportunity for the smaller companies and independents to flourish'.

The ICG is online at www.indepconsultants.org.

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