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Obituary: Denise Turner
Denise Turner, who died on Friday aged just 58, was a prominent and popular UK media researcher whose roles included Chief Executive of the OOH currency provider Route, Director of Research and Insight at Newsworks, and most recently Research Director at ad industry association the IPA.
 Turner (pictured) was brought up in Northern Ireland and educated at Lurgan College before attending Swansea University. She began her advertising industry career as a Media Research Assistant at Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1991, and went on to work at Zenith Media and for two spells at Leo Burnett - the latter as UK Head of Research - before joining Havas Media in 2000. She remained at the group for more than fourteen years, latterly as its Managing Partner and Chief Insight Officer.
In 2015 she joined national newspaper marketing body Newsworks, where she worked as Director of Research & Insight for seven years, representing news brands on various industry bodies, and closely involved in ongoing and future research requirements for both PAMCo and UKOM. She joined Route in July 2022 as CEO, and moved as recently as July this year to the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), an organisation of which she was elected a Fellow in 2009, in recognition of her services to the advertising industry.
The Institute said in an announcement on LinkedIn that Turner had 'passed away suddenly' on Friday 7th November, and noted her 'outstanding contribution to the industry.' Director General Paul Bainsfair notes: 'We are all devastated by Denise's sudden passing. She was a brilliant researcher, an exceptional professional and a generous, much-loved colleague. Denise brought intelligence, curiosity and kindness to everything she did, inspiring those around her with her insight and passion. Her contribution to media research was profound, and she will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.'
Turner was a regular contributor over the past ten years to Adwanted UK publication The Media Leader, and Adwanted CEO Greg Grimmer described her as 'a much loved colleague and friend of myself and the whole Adwanted team,' adding: 'From her agency days, her tenures at Newsworks and Route and latterly at the IPA she demonstrated knowledge, wisdom, tact and most of all always remained great fun to be around.' According to the publication, Turner considered herself blessed to have found the career she did, writing 'warmly' of it: 'I've talked to people about a whole range of categories and topics, from shoes, to vitamins, to dog food, to piles - I've dragged my family round different shops while on holiday in the name of research.' Summarising her thirty years in adland, she added, 'Love what you do, and the rest will follow.'
She is survived by her husband, Craig, and children Ethan and Lexi. Details regarding funeral arrangements and ways to pay tribute will be shared soon by the IPA. A long, long list of tributes and condolences can be found beneath the IPA LinkedIn piece.
Web sites: www.themedialeader.com and www.ipa.co.uk .
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