Wendy Gordon
Co-founder and brand research specialist
Wendy was previously a co-founder at strategic brand consultancy, The Fourth Room and before this co-founded The Research Business International (TRBI). Wendy is a Fellow of the Market Research Society, a visiting professor at Birmingham Business School and has been honoured by The Women’s Advertising Club of London as one of its ’Women of Achievement’. Wendy’s second book, Good thinking – a guide to qualitative research, was published in November 1999. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, teaches qualitative research master classes around the world, and contributes to many industry publications. Wendy has worked with a wide variety of clients, spanning many business sectors and geographies.
Caroline Hayter (Whitehill)
Co-founder and strategist
Caroline is a communications specialist and sits on the Committee of the Association for Qualitative Research (AQR). She has also recently been appointed as editorial referee for the International Journal of Market Research (IJMR) and is a Full Member of the Market Research Society. Caroline returned to the UK in 2001 to take on the role of Head of Marketing at The Fourth Room. Prior to this, during an international career, Caroline was an advertising account director and strategist in the US and Canada, working most recently for Wieden + Kennedy on accounts such as Nike and Coca-Cola. In addition to advertising, she advised many companies as they prepared for IPO during the rise and fall of the ‘new economy’. Caroline started her career in Hong Kong, working for Leo Burnett Advertising on blue chip businesses across Asia-Pacific.
Martin Lee
Co-founder and strategist
Martin is a former Marketing Director of Waterstone’s and Partner at The Fourth Room. Martin started his career working in university bookshops before joining WH Smith as Buying and Marketing Manager for books. At WH Smith, he introduced innovations that changed the way in which fiction was published in the UK. Martin moved to Waterstone’s in 1995, where he was responsible for directing the brand, following its acquisition by WH Smith. He managed the transition and expansion from its entrepreneurial roots into an established and profitable high street name culminating in its merger with Dillons in 1998. One of Martin's abiding concerns is the way that brands communicate through language, and this interest has led him to join the management team of 26, a not for profit organisation that is committed to improving the quality of writing and self-expression in business.
Ro Pocock
Co-founder and operations director
Ro Pocock has worked in the research industry for over 25 years and her job today spans a wide remit including IT, staffing and marketing at Acacia Avenue. Previously, Ro was at The Fourth Room, which she joined at its inception in 1998 to head up operations. Before this, Ro spent 11 years at The Research Business International, in a number of operational and marketing roles. Ro has also spent time at Sadek Wynberg Research where she orchestrated the company’s re-location and launch of their London viewing facility, The Treehouse.
Blue Martin
Director
Blue Martin is a qualitative researcher with over 10 years experience across a wide range of commercial sectors and international markets. After graduating from Oxford University, Blue started her career in 1999 at SPA where she worked across its media, retail and kids sectors for clients such as Cartoon Network, Capital Radio, M&S and the BBC. From there she moved to Henley Centre HeadlightVision (now The Futures Company), and later Brand Genetics, an insight and innovation agency, where she specialised in FMCG research for clients including PepsiCo, Unilever, Red Bull, Cadbury, and Bacardi Global Brands. Blue’s broad experience underpins her work at Acacia Avenue, which she joined in 2009, where her focus is discovering compelling consumer stories and transforming them into strategic recommendations.
Iain Carruthers
Strategist
Iain Carruthers is a research and brand communications expert with an agency and FMCG pedigree. Alongside his work at Acacia Avenue, Iain runs The Encounter Business, a close network of qualitative research and marketing specialists specializing in innovation. Before this, Iain worked as Director of Brand Strategy at Interbrand. He has also held director positions at Added Value in London and Millward Brown, Chicago. Iain was lucky enough to launch his career as brand manager at Scottish & Newcastle working on Becks, Newcastle Brown Ale and the mighty McEwans Export. He has worked with a wide range of other clients including PepsiCo International, Vodafone, and Royal Bank of Scotland. In 2007 he published his second book, The Domestic Engineer, a biography of the Dyson brand and business.
Gemma Stokes
Qualitative researcher
Gemma is an experienced qualitative researcher, since starting her career in 2004. During her career she has worked across a broad spectrum of sectors and, including FMCG, retail and charity, and has a particular specialisation in e-commerce and long-term qualitative tracking. Gemma excels at creating bespoke methodological solutions to suit client needs, drawing upon both established and innovative techniques to produce actionable insights. In addition to her research skills Gemma brings a love of shopping and animals to all her projects, and has conducted research in the UK and Europe for brands such as eBay, Pedigree and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Gemma is a firm advocate of the AQR and is very much involved with the organisation through her role as an AQR ambassador, and presenting at events such as the AQR Pecha Kucha.
Katie Jones
Qualitative researcher
Katie joined Acacia Avenue as a graduate of Durham University in 2006 when she initially took on the role of Field Liaison Manager. This experience laid the foundations for her successful move into the role of researcher, where alongside moderation and analysis, Katie has become Acacia Avenue’s online research expert. Katie has worked on a range of complex studies involving multiple strands of enquiry and across a range of international markets for clients such as British Airways, BP, NHS Kensington and Chelsea and Kimberly Clark. Katie recently presented on the topic of Co-creation at the AQR’s Pecha Kucha event alongside Gemma and was winner of the 2010 Research Liberation Front Recruitment challenge.
Camilla Cooper
Qualitative researcher
Graduating in psychology from Southampton University, Camilla started her career in advertising working for The Loewy Group and prior to joining Acacia Avenue, The Mission Marketing Group, gaining valuable experience in the planning department of one of their main agencies. Since joining Acacia Avenue in 2008, Camilla has used her formidable organisational skills to great effect in the role of Field Liaison Manager and subsequently moved into the role of researcher working with such clients as eBay, PayPal, Red Bull and Camelot. Camilla has a keen interest in the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour and is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society.
Jerram Shurville
Commercial specialist and qualified accountant
Jerram Shurville is Acacia Avenue’s non-executive director. Jerram has spent over 20 years working in the marketing services industry, where his work has included running a group of UK companies for French communications giant, Havas, and being commercial director at The Fourth Room.