Obituary: UK Polling Legend Sir Robert Worcester

Sir Robert Worcester, the pioneering UK market researcher and political pollster who founded MORI, has died aged 91.

Sir Robert was born in the US in December 1933, grew up in Kansas City and was educated at the University of Kansas before starting his career at McKinsey & Company. He then worked as CFO at Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) before moving to the UK and founding MORI (Market and Opinion Research International) in 1969.

The firm grew rapidly, establishing itself as the leading independent MR and polling firm in the UK, serving blue-chip companies in areas such as corporate reputation and customer satisfaction research; and bringing public opinion into the heart of politics and political decision-making.

His roles in the industry and in public life were many and varied. In 2004, he became a British subject after being selected as a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Kent, in which he held many positions including Kent Ambassador appointed by the County Council, and both Governor and Honorary Professor of the University of Kent. In industry he served as President of the World Association for Public Opinion Research. His academic positions and honours also included Governor of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an Honorary Professor at Warwick University. Among many other honours, he was also a Trustee of the Magna Carta Trust and a Freeman of the City of London; and as a keen supporter of British wildlife and environmental charities, he served as President of ENCAMS (Keep Britain Tidy), and a Trustee both of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature).

In 2005 he was knighted, 'in recognition of outstanding services ...to political, social and economic research' and for his contribution to government policy and programmes. Worcester was by this time MORI's Chairman, and its CEO Brian Gosschalk described him as 'a tireless champion of high quality research for more than 35 years since founding MORI,' adding of the knighthood: 'This is a fitting tribute to his huge contribution to market and opinion research in the UK, as well as to public policy'.

Later that year, MORI became part of the Ipsos group, which paid £88m and almost doubled its UK revenue in the process.

Didier Truchot, founder of Ipsos and Chairman of the Board of Directors, paid tribute to Sir Robert this week, stating: 'Bob was a pioneering force in the world of market research and political polling. His forward-thinking approach and unwavering commitment to quality and integrity in the industry have left an indelible mark. We are honoured to have built upon his legacy at Ipsos. His passionate advocacy for the role of research in societal progression will continue to inspire. He will be profoundly missed, but his contributions will always serve as a guiding light for the market research community. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.'

Sir Robert died on Friday 5th September and leaves behind two sons, Kenton and Lawrence.