Ipsos Hires Indigenous Affairs Specialist

In Australia, Ipsos has appointed Sharon Barnes for the newly created role of Director, Public Affairs in its Indigenous Research Unit, focusing on research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The unit, which is part of the Ipsos Social Research Institute, conducts culturally sensitive research with these peoples, cultural organisations, health and other service providers - feeding into literature reviews and analytic research to inform Indigenous program and policy design.

Barnes (pictured) joins after thirteen years at the Department of Social Services, where she served as the Assistant Section Manager for the 'Footprints in Time' longitudinal study of indigenous children, responsible for data collection, community engagement, study content and survey design. Earlier, she worked in various roles at Aboriginal Hostels Ltd and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS); and she is a member of the Australian Bureau of Statistics roundtable on these communities. In her new role, Barnes will work closely with Winangali, Ipsos' strategic partner for indigenous research projects.

Separately, Sandra Bienayme has joined the Brisbane office as Research Executive in the Public
Affairs team, after graduating with a Master's degree in International Business from
HEC Paris, and working as a Market Research Assistant at French agency QualiQuanti. Ipsos Australia and New Zealand MD Simon Wake comments: 'We are delighted to welcome Sharon and Sandra to the team. Sharon is our first appointment since we announced our unique research partnership with Indigenous communications and research company Winangali last December to jointly conduct Indigenous research studies'.

Web site: www.ipsos.com .