Meet us

Wendy is the founder and Managing Director of rdsi.

Wendy has over 25 years' experience in qualitative market research. Her key interests and areas of expertise lie in strategic development research, advertising and creative development and NPD/Innovation.

In addition to consumer research, Wendy specialises in facilitating management and consumer workshops and brainstorming sessions to both understand brands and develop strategy.

Andy runs the rdsi Leeds office with expertise in innovation, new product development and strategic research across sectors including Automotive, FMCG, Financial and Consumer Electronics. He's been moderating groups, running creative workshops and conducting ethnographic research since 1998 and is particularly interested in customer emotions, uncovering unspoken needs and bringing creatives closer to the people they design for.

He enjoys researching in naturalistic contexts with new methods and the challenge of delicate subject areas - but gets just as big a kick moderating groups. He has a degree in Psychology from Birmingham University and a PhD in Consumption Emotion from Cranfield University.

Michael specialises in the retail and financial services markets, and has particular expertise in the areas of brand equity, customer loyalty, product development and corporate strategy.

For Michael, working at rdsi is both rewarding and challenging, but outside of work his life is a mixture of pleasure and pain. The pleasure of drinking Chianti and the pain of supporting Newcastle United.

Having joined rdsi in the Leeds office, Hannah has over eleven years' experience in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and analysis, and has extensive experience in retail, FMCG and financial research covering a broad spectrum of projects. Particular concentration has most recently been on strategy development, communications, category development, NPD and creative evaluation.

Hannah spends most of her spare time praying for the return of the Leeds United glory days.

Joel works extensively on strategic studies for clients on a wide range of issues from advertising and brand strategy to the development of new products and marketing communications. Experienced in retail, technology and telecomms, finance and FMCG, Joel's passion is for understanding the lifestyles, values, aspirations and purchasing decisions of different consumer segments.  He particularly enjoys finding new ways to enable client teams to move their brands forward.

Emma worked as a quantitative researcher before changing sides to qualitative in 2002.

Since working in qualitative research she has gained experience in a number of categories primarily shopper research, category management, concept positioning and optimisation, NPD and brand studies - positioning, line extensions etc. Emma specialises in understanding consumer motivations.  Job satisfaction for Emma is about bringing together the research and producing actionable and strategic findings for her clients.

Emma graduated with a BSc in Environmental Science after which she did an MSc in Behavioural Ecology.

Emma enjoys travelling and has been to a number of countries throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, her dream is to see as many countries as possible in her lifetime, whether through work or play!

Roseann has recently joined the Leeds team as a quantitative specialist.

Roseann has 13 years' experience in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and has worked both agency and client side as an insight manager for Otto UK and Asda.

Her understanding of client needs ensures every project is delivered with overall commercial and business objectives in mind. Roseann has particular experience in customer and employee satisfaction tracking and gap analysis.

Gill's research career spans over 25 years working on the client and agency side, across qualitative and quantitative disciplines. Gill is very much a people person and really enjoys working with clients, helping and inspiring them to get the most from a project and move the findings forward. Gill is a fluent German speaker, loves to travel and is particularly passionate about understanding how different brands and products are perceived in different countries and cultures.

Claire is a qualitative all-rounder who loves the quest for insight. Since becoming a mother, she has developed a particular interest in research with children and parents.

Claire initially worked at rdsi in the first half of the 90s, before setting up Mosquito, a qualitative agency focussed on innovative techniques.  In 2005 Claire had a son and took some time out of research to enjoy motherhood.  She began freelancing a couple of years later and returned to rdsi in 2011.

Chiara has over a decade's experience in qualitative research. She worked for rdsi full-time before a stint nation-skipping and starting a family.

Chiara can be passionate about pretty much anything - but is especially inspired by strategic research and innovation. She strives to help brands reach their potential and truly connect with their audience, and has worked for many
high-profile, inspiring brands, in particular in the FMCG sector.

A frustrated anthropologist, Chiara values and deploys ethnographic approaches to research, and has a working knowledge of French and Portuguese as well as Italian.

Nicky works as a qualitative specialist. Her passion and talents lie in discovering what makes people tick and then applying this to provide strategic insights for communications, npd and brand strategy for her clients.

She loves international projects and discovering how brands and products can be perceived differently across the globe.  She specialises in consumer and financial research and previously worked at GfK and RI.

Tim entered the world of research 6 years ago and thrives on the challenges and variety it brings. He initially cut his teeth at rdsi as a fresh graduate, followed by spells at Intrepid and Hall & Partners, before re-joining the team in 2011. Tim has worked across a variety of sectors with particular emphasis on finance and technology, and has expertise in NPD, brand equity and advertising research.

Outside of work, Tim keeps himself busy with a variety of sports including mountain biking, snowboarding, kayaking and has recently found the delights (but not the money or time) of kite surfing.

Kat has worked in qualitative research for almost 5 years. She started her life as a researcher within an advertising agency in Leeds and since moving to London 2 years ago has gained extensive experience in international research travelling all over the world for a variety of research projects.

Kat loves to be involved in international projects which require global solutions and particularly enjoys advertising research and NPD/proposition development. Kat has a particular interest in the healthcare arena and has extensive experience talking to both health care professionals and consumers in both the UK and internationally.

Kat has a BSc in Psychology from Loughborough University.

Sara joined rdsi in 2006 and has over 5 years' experience in qualitative research.

She is a fashion and retail specialist but also enjoys working across other sectors such as FMCG, media and food and drink.  She is competent in numerous methodologies, with particular interest in modern approaches such as running panels, blogging and using social networking sites.

More recently Sara has been focusing on brand strategy and development, new product development, concept testing and category development.

With over seven years experience working within research departments in advertising agencies, Louise has gained extensive experience in communications research across B2B and consumer markets.  Her strengths and knowledge lie within the FMCG markets, with particular focus on food and drink, but she also has a wealth of experience across financial and logistics industries. 

Louise enjoys working with clients to help them gain a detailed understanding of the key stakeholders within the organisation, be that the end consumer or engaging internal audiences, and relishes working with clients to implement key research findings to drive strategic changes to ensure the client offering is most effective.  She is more often than not visiting the supermarket to look for new and different products that may have been tested in one of the projects she has worked on!

Louise's skill set lies in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and she enjoys conducting the standard focus groups as well as more unusual methodologies.

Peter joins rdsi in 2011 with 6 years of previous research experience.  He has worked across a range of sectors, from FMCG to financial services, transport to technology.

His primary specialism is quantitative research, but having experience also of qualitative and mixed-method research, he can work flexibly with clients to design and deliver the right approach according to their individual needs.

Peter enjoys liaising with clients to understand their business issues and priorities, and gets particular satisfaction from working to provide insight that is engaging, relevant and that supports action planning.

James has extensive market research experience having managed both qualitative and quantitative projects for a variety of commercial, financial and public sector clients. James' key interests lie in communications, NPD and web-testing research especially in the areas of finance and retail. Ultimately, James is happiest getting to the core of how consumers think, feel and behave and helping clients use this insight to deliver and grow value.

Outside of work, James enjoys country pubs, playing guitar and trying to 'add DIY value' to his house and garden.

Anna joined the rdsi quant team at the beginning of 2009, making a change from her previous job in publishing sales.

Since then she has worked across a number of sectors including FMCG, retail and finance and has developed a particular fondness for technology research and working across international markets.

Outside of the office, Anna enjoys making the most of living in London, soaking up the all the culture of the museums and galleries and trying out the many bars and restaurants.

Caroline joined rdsi in 2010 with four years qualitative and quantitative experience across the private and public sector.  Caroline has also spent time travelling and working abroad and has worked as a regional researcher at the Audit Commission.   She is particularly interested in consumer behaviours and research with hard to reach groups.

When not at work Caroline can be found either running or cooking and eating exciting food.

Victoria joined rdsi bringing 18 months qualitative & quantitative research experience after working within the research department of an Advertising agency in Leeds. She has worked across a number of sectors which include Food & Drink, Retail and Finance. After graduating from Leeds University with a BSc in Psychology & Business Management, Victoria now enjoys the variety that working in research brings.

Victoria is loving London life and is wasting no time exploring the city and when not at work likes to shop, go running and eat tasty food!

Sam joined rdsi in 2011 with almost three years of research experience across many sectors, including retail, FMCG, healthcare and finance.

Competent in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and analysis, he has a particular interest in the retail arena, and has developed his expertise in interacting with audiences across a wide variety of research topics.

Outside of work, Sam can usually be found in France (eating good food), at a gig (enjoying good music), or at the Keepmoat Stadium (watching great football).

Matthew joined the rdsi team in early 2010. He has landed here straight from an around-the-world trip, which followed a degree in Psychology.

Since joining he has often found himself working across a variety of projects, but is happiest when he is up to his elbows in brand tracking data.

When he's not at work, Matthew can often be found tinkering with cars, exploring other countries, or just enjoying a glass of wine and a BBQ (weather permitting of course!).

Suzanne is new to the rdsi team for 2011.  She has completed a Graphic and Communication Design degree at the University of Leeds, and has experience in Qualitative and Quantitative research after completing a 6 month internship in the research department of an advertising agency in Leeds, where she worked across a number of sectors including retail, finance and food & drink.

Suzanne is new to London and is enjoying exploring all the City has to offer. She particularly enjoys watching films, trying new restaurants and socializing with her friends.

Matt joined the rdsi team at the beginning of 2011, having recently completed a PhD in Human Geography at the University of Leeds. During his academic career, Matt gained a year's experience with a Leeds-based youth marketing and research agency, working predominantly in the leisure and retail sectors.

When not working, you'll usually find Matt in the pool, running or riding round the city centre. Or in Wagamama, recovering and refuelling.

Aimee was new to the rdsi team in 2010, coming straight from Durham University where she completed an undergraduate degree in Combined Social Sciences (Psychology with Anthropology and Business Studies) and a Masters degree in Cognitive Neuroscience.

When not working, Aimee loves listening to live music, especially going to festivals in the summer, and socialising with friends. Being new to London, she's excited about exploring all that the city has to offer!

Ben originally joined the rdsi team in 2009 after graduating from Liverpool University where he gained a BSc in Psychology.

A short sabbatical saw him take in the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa and gain valuable work experience with a research agency in Sydney (witnessing England retain the Ashes first hand along the way).

Upon returning to English shores in 2011 Ben re-joined rdsi and relocated to Leeds where he is looking forward to getting to know a new city.