Four Directions Employees Become Co-Owners

Four employees of Cincinnati, Ohio-based Directions Research Inc. (DRI) have become co-owners of the company through the acquisition of shares. The firm has also announced three new appointments and three promotions.

The firm has been employee-owned for the past twenty years, and Betsy Sutherland, Hannah Peters, Miguel Martinez-Baco, and Tiffany Bailey have now joined the list of co-owners. Sutherland joined the firm last year with more than 25 years' experience, most recently from M/A/R/C Research; Peters, who has been promoted to Account Executive, joined the company in 2004 from Fidelity Investments; Martinez-Baco joined last year, after a fifteen year career which involved stints at MRSI (now part of ORC International), Market Segment Research, and Procter & Gamble; and Bailey has been with Directions for the past nearly thirteen years, having begun her career as a Coding Analyst with Ipsos ASI.

DRI founder Randy Brooks comments: 'Our company was founded on the belief that those who contribute to the company's success should own the company and benefit from that success. Our commitment to employee ownership and the Directions stock system that stands behind it, helps us attract and retain sought-after professionals with in-demand expertise'.

In addition, Eric Holmes joins as a Research Analyst, after an eight year background with Ipsos Marketing, Ipsos InnoQuest and TNS; Jeff Hunter has been hired as Vice President of Client Service, Healthcare Division, with eighteen years' experience gained at Alcon Laboratories, Ipsos-Vantis and M/A/R/C Research; and Emily Wildhaber takes up the post of HR/Compliance Coordinator with two years' experience.

Along with Peters' promotion, KaRene Smith has been promoted to Vice President, Director Marketing & Design; and Mark Erwin has progressed to the role of Vice President of Client Service.

Web site: www.directionsresearch.com .