Daily Research News Online no. 7967 - Common Knowledge Expands as Informa Consolidates

Common Knowledge Expands as Informa Consolidates

February 15 2008

In the US, Common Knowledge Research Services has appointed seven members of staff from Informa Research Services, who were made redundant when the firm recently merged its main Seattle operations with its Los Angeles office.

Dale Todd joins as Business Development Director for Common Knowledge's Northeast office in New York. He previously ran his own firm 20/20 Marketing Research, and held positions in sales at Informa, and project management at Sovereign Marketing Research.

Laura Arendall takes up the post of Project Manager, coordinating research projects and providing consultation to key clients. Prior to joining Common Knowledge, she was Senior Project Director at Informa.

Betsy Roberts becomes Senior Client Services Manager to provide client consultation on methodology, feasibility, and pricing. In her previous position as Account Manager and Senior Project Director at Informa, she sold and managed a variety of research projects.

Krys Postma joins as Account Manager responsible for client relationships and full service projects. During her four years at Informa, she held the positions of Project Manager, and most recently Account Manager.

Janet McDonald and Travis Houweling have been appointed Quality Control Managers responsible for survey testing and other quality processes. McDonald has served in a variety of marketing research capacities over the last 30 years; most recently as Senior Project Director for Informa.

Houweling began his marketing research career as an interviewer in 1999 and since then has served in various roles, including recruiter and trainer. While at Informa, he provided research editing/coding and financial analysis with a focus on mystery shopping.

Finally, Bill Yoshida steps into the role of Director, New Business Development responsible for supporting online panel and programming clients nationwide. For the past 15 years, he has worked in a business development role at Informa.

Common Knowledge President Steve Lavine says that the new recruits will bring variety and depth of experience across multiple marketing research functions. 'They are well-equipped to meet the challenges we face as our business expands,' he added.

Informa Research Services told DRNO that the redundancies came about as the firm consolidated some of its Seattle operations with its Los Angeles office in order to take advantage of 'certain market efficiencies'. The company still maintains a Seattle office to handle its Pacific Northwest client base. President and MD Michael Adler wished all his former employees well in their new endeavours.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Common Knowledge has been supplying sample and data collection to market research firms and their clients for 20 years. The firm is online at www.commonknowledge.com while Informa is on the net at www.informars.com.