Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based Director operating in the Market Research space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Margo Polishchuk
Co-Founder & Director of proSapient
Margo Polishchuk is the Co-Founder & Director at proSapient.
Follow Margo Polishchuk:
About proSapient: proSapient is a research platform that gathers networks of insights from executives and SMEs via global consultations and surveys.
Jon Adkins
Director of EMEA of Guidepoint
Follow Jon Adkins:
About Guidepoint: Guidepoint is a leading expert network that connects business decision-makers and researchers with knowledgeable independent experts
Jon Adkins
Director of EMEA of Guidepoint
Follow Jon Adkins:
About Guidepoint: Guidepoint is a leading expert network that connects business decision-makers and researchers with knowledgeable independent experts
James Buckley
Director of Business Development of Attest
James Buckley is the Director of Business Development at Attest
Follow James Buckley:
About Attest: Attest is a consumer research platform that delivers consumer data that drive predictable and repeatable growth to businesses.
Dario Simonetti
Technology Director of Attest
Dario Simonetti is the Head of Core Engineering at Attest.
Follow Dario Simonetti:
About Attest: Attest is a consumer research platform that delivers consumer data that drive predictable and repeatable growth to businesses.
Peter Veash
Executive Director of ImpactSense
Follow Peter Veash:
About ImpactSense: ImpactSense makes a simple commitment to clients and provides actionable information that delivers now while keeping an eye on the future.
Ed McDermott
Co-Founder and Managing Director, UK of EMMAC Life Sciences
Ed McDermott is the co-founder and managing director at EMMAC Life Sciences.
Follow Ed McDermott:
About EMMAC Life Sciences: EMMAC is a medical cannabis company that works to join together the latest science and research with cutting-edge cultivation.
Tim Cobbold
CEO & Executive Director of UBM Plc
Tim is the CEO & Executive Director of UBM, an event services platform.
Follow Tim Cobbold:
About UBM Plc: UBM is a global events-led marketing and communications services business.
David Kershaw
Co-Founder ,CEO & Exec Director of M&C Saatchi
David Kershaw is a founding director of M&C Saatchi. He joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 1982 after obtaining an MBA at London Business School. He became managing director in 1990 and was made chairman and chief executive of the UK agency in 1994.
Follow David Kershaw:
About M&C Saatchi: M&C Saatchi Group is a creative company that connects specialist expertise, fuelled by data and technology.
Hendrik-Tobias Arkenau
Executive Medical Director of Sarah Cannon
Professor Tobias Arkenau joined Sarah Cannon Research Institute as Executive Medical Director in 2010.
Follow Hendrik-Tobias Arkenau:
About HCA International, Sarah Cannon, UCL: Sarah Cannon offers integrated cancer services with convenient access to cutting-edge therapies.
Matthew Pougher
Sales Director of Omdia
Follow Matthew Pougher:
About Omdia: Omdia is The game-changing technology research and consulting firm built for the connected age.
Mark Oliver
Senior Consulting Director of Omdia
Follow Mark Oliver:
About Omdia: Omdia is The game-changing technology research and consulting firm built for the connected age.
Dario Talmesio
Research Director – Service Provider Strategies, Regulation, 5G Accelerator of Omdia
Follow Dario Talmesio:
About Omdia: Omdia is The game-changing technology research and consulting firm built for the connected age.
Shawn Cabral
Global Marketing Director of Cint
Follow Shawn Cabral:
About Cint: The technology backbone of the world’s most successful insights companies.
Grant Burke
Client Managing Director of Carat
Follow Grant Burke:
About Carat: Carat is a media agency that specializes in media planning and buying, and providing digital and non-traditional media solutions.
Ian Hathaway
Managing Director of Hillgate Partners
Ian Hathaway is Research Director at the Center for American Entrepreneurship, where he leads content development efforts, publishes research and commentary, and advises on policy and strategy. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a research fellow at the Technology and Policy Research Initiative at Boston University, and an adjunct professor at New York University. Ian has published for prominent research institutions, universities, non-profits, and businesses, and is regularly cited in leading press outlets for his views and research on entrepreneurship, including in The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among many others. He has also been an advisor to organizations in the information technology, media, life sciences, venture capital, non-profit, government, and education sectors, on a range of research, public policy, and strategy issues. Previously, Ian was an economist at the Federal Reserve, World Trade Organization, and Bloomberg, and founded Ennsyte Economics. Ian is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where he studied economics and political economy.
Follow Ian Hathaway:
About Center for American Entrepreneurship, Hillgate Partners, The Brookings Institution: Innovation, insight, and advisory services firm
Neelendra Nath
Director of Innovitas
Follow Neelendra Nath:
About : Innovitas is an innovation intelligence and design company based in London.
Nadia Hutchinson
Global HR Operations Director of Kantar
Nadia Hutchinson is an international human resources leader with wide experience in transformation, change management, shared services and M&A. She joined Kantar at the end of 2018 leading HR Operations globally specifically to embed SaaS technologies, transform payroll and professionalize the HR service delivery model across the group. Her experience at British American Tobacco plc. as part of their global HR transformation team saw her leap into the changing world of digital technologies and data management. Prior to this Nadia led the HR Shared Service function for Standard Chartered Bank across Europe with a focus on risk and compliance that has continued in her career. Nadia is English, holds degrees in History, Spanish and Business Administration whilst also speaking Spanish. Her experience has spanned the data consultancy, media, financial services, management consultancy and magic circle legal organizations management. Otherwise, Nadia is passionate about travel and her young family. In addition, she has been a school governor and is a co-founder of a not-for-profit brokering targeted volunteering to support youth engagement and improve social mobility.
Follow Nadia Hutchinson:
About British American Tobacco, Kantar: Kantar is the data investment management division of WPP, is a global insight, information, and consultancy network.
Matt Robinson
Director of Operations of Lumen Research
Follow Matt Robinson:
About Lumen Research: Lumen is a specialist eye tracking research agency based in London, who help optimise advertising across a number of platforms.
Mike Follett
Managing Director of Lumen Research
Follow Mike Follett:
About Lumen Research: Lumen is a specialist eye tracking research agency based in London, who help optimise advertising across a number of platforms.
Research and Development Director of Lumen Research
Follow Navid Hajimirza:
About Lumen Research: Lumen is a specialist eye tracking research agency based in London, who help optimise advertising across a number of platforms.
David Bassett
Director of Analytics of Lumen Research
Follow David Bassett:
About Lumen Research: Lumen is a specialist eye tracking research agency based in London, who help optimise advertising across a number of platforms.
Nick Snowdon
Director, TNS UK of Kantar TNS
Nick works in a team of 70 dedicated technology and financial services researchers in Kantar TNS UK, awarded he best UK agency for Innovation and B2B research by the Marketing Research Society. Nick holds an Advanced Certificate from the MRS and has worked in technology research for over 11 years including BOP research in Africa and Asia as well as Westernised markets. Managing project teams of intellectually curious researchers, Nick’ portfolio encompasses a varied mix of clients, including mobile networks, FinTech providers, app developers, video gaming developers, smart device manufacturers and social networks. He has wide-ranging experience in the research fields of brand, communications, innovation and CX research, as well as a specialism within Social Media analytics and the integration of Big Data with traditional research. His core expertise lies in research that contributes to thought leadership and in translating business objectives into research design that will help Kantar TNS’ clients identify, optimise and activate against the key moments that matter most for their brand – allowing them to innovate, inspire and prosper.
Follow Nick Snowdon:
About Kantar TNS: Kantar TNSA is a research worldwide agency that provides actionable insights that helps make impactful decisions that drive growth.
Giles Farrer
Research Director of Wood MacKenzie
Giles directs Wood Mackenzie’s LNG research, maintaining relationships with clients across the world. Having led the development of Woodmac’s LNG Corporate research, Giles now manages Wood Mackenzie’s LNG Service and Tool products, drawing on his ten years of experience in gas & LNG. His particular expertise lies in LNG supply valuation, LNG contracting and pricing, LNG costs, FLNG, competitor benchmarking and market analysis. Prior to joining the LNG team in 2008, Giles worked in Wood Mackenzie’s upstream group covering the Middle East and South Asia. Giles holds a BA in History & Politics from the University of Exeter.
Follow Giles Farrer:
About Wood MacKenzie: Wood Mackenzie is a research and consultancy business for the energy, chemicals, metals, and mining industries.
Carlos Serra Cardenas
Corporate Development Director of Audiense
Carlos Serra is responsible for finance, fundraising and strategic partnerships at Fits.me. Prior to Fits.me, Carlos worked at Strata Partners, a London-based technology-focused corporate finance business; and, before that, for Monroy Petersen, a San Francisco-based M&A specialist. In addition to advising technology entrepreneurs, Carlos has been a Silicon Valley entrepreneur himself. He co-founded a mobile services start-up – iPling, one of the first iPhone applications – and has invested in a number of other small UK/Spanish start-ups and secured the required funding. He has a Law degree from the Universidad Complutense and a Masters in Finance from IEB (Madrid).
Follow Carlos Serra Cardenas:
About Audiense: Audiense is a develops delivering unique consumer insight and engagement capabilities to many of the world’s biggest brands and agencies.
Jonny White
Director of Illuminas
Jonny White is the Founder / CEO at Ticket Tailor.
Follow Jonny White:
About Illuminas, Tixboo: Global market research consultancy
Debrah Harding
Managing Director of The Market Research Society
Debrah is Managing Director of the Market Research Society (MRS), a Vice President of the European Research Federation EFAMRO and an Executive Board member of the Global Research Business Network (GRBN). Debrah leads MRS’ standards, policy and public affairs activities working extensively with government departments and European institutions on issues which affect research, insight and data. Debrah has a wealth of knowledge of ethical codes, guidelines, data protection and on the enforcement of professional & process standards and is co-author of the book, Quality in Market Research: from Theory to Practice. Prior to joining MRS Debrah worked in accountancy and publishing. Debrah is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and the RSA; and a Trustee of the McDougall Trust, a charity which promotes public understanding of electoral democracy.
Follow Debrah Harding:
About The Market Research Society: The Market Research Society (MRS) is the world’s leading authority for the research, insight, marketing science and data analytics sectors.
Daniel Mettyear
Research Director Africa & Wine of International Wine & Spirit Research
As analyst for the IWSR, Daniel Mettyear has spent the past ten years getting to the heart of market dynamics and drivers in over 30 countries, across five different regions. Now as research director for the wine category, he is drawing on his experience in a number of key producer and consumer markets to determine how the movements and trends of today are shaping the future of wine going forward.
Follow Daniel Mettyear:
About International Wine & Spirit Research: The IWSR is a global provider of data and market intelligence on beverage alcohol.
Sandra Jones
Managing Director of Dataloft
Sandra keeps a strategic eye on all Dataloft’s client reports and is actively involved in consultancy assignments. With a career that has spanned commercial and residential markets, she has a particular interest in institutional investment in residential property. She has written widely on property for national and trade press and is a regular speaker at seminars and conferences.
Follow Sandra Jones:
About Dataloft: Dataloft is an established property market intelligence company with a long track record of analysing and reporting on the housing market.
Damien Field
Managing Director of MM-Eye
Follow Damien Field:
About MM-Eye: MM-Eye is a market research agency, specialising in quant, qual and online research for the automotive and mobility industries.
Karen Levesley
Research Director of MM-Eye
Follow Karen Levesley:
About MM-Eye: MM-Eye is a market research agency, specialising in quant, qual and online research for the automotive and mobility industries.
Meg Rudman-Walsh
Associate Director of MM-Eye
Follow Meg Rudman-Walsh:
About MM-Eye: MM-Eye is a market research agency, specialising in quant, qual and online research for the automotive and mobility industries.
Rupert Smith
Director of Communications of Newsworks
Rupert Smith is the Director of Communications at Newsworks.
Follow Rupert Smith:
About Newsworks: Newsworks is a marketing agency helping agencies and advertisers get the most out of news brands for national newspapers.
