M.E.L Hires Four Including Senior Evaluation Lead

Birmingham, UK-based social and market research consultancy M.E.L Research has added four people to its delivery team: Liz Murphy as Senior Evaluation Lead, Olivia Smith and Jamie Bains as Insights Executives, and James Walsh in the new role of AI and Automation Analyst.

Founded in 1985, M.E.L aims to make a positive difference to organisations, employees, customers and wider society, describing itself as 'a values driven organisation, with a social, ethical and environmental conscience.' The company work in sectors including health, education, waste and resource, wellbeing, housing and development, policing and community resilience, arts, culture and heritage, transport and infrastructure, as well as employee and customer/citizen experience.

Murphy brings eighteen years of experience delivering strategic research and evaluation across the UK and Europe, including complex evaluations for government, cultural and third-sector organisations. She spent the last eighteen months at the Verian Group, previously Kantar Public, and earlier worked at York Consulting, DJS and IFF Research.

Smith spent the last eighteen months at NEMS Market Research which she joined after graduating from Newcastle University. She brings experience across the arts and culture, tourism, heritage, health and retail sectors. Bains joins with more than three years' experience delivering mixed-methods research across policy, cultural and heritage sectors - including spells at the Department for Work and Pensions, and Channel 4.

Walsh previously joined the business as a Fieldwork Supervisor, and as AI and Automation Analyst will lead the adoption of AI and automation across the organisation. His experience includes three and a half years in field and ops roles at DJS Research.

Steve Handley, Director of the Delivery Team, says each of the four 'brings valuable expertise and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality research and evaluation that creates meaningful impact.' He adds: 'These appointments strengthen our Evaluation, Insights and Central Services teams, enabling us to continue supporting clients with rigorous evidence, innovative thinking and outstanding service.'

Web site: www.melresearch.co.uk .


Pictured top to bottom: Liz Murphy, Olivia Smith, Jamie Bains and James Walsh

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