Baroness Deborah Mattinson appointed MRS President as we mark our 80th anniversary
13 January 2026

Baroness Deborah Mattinson has been announced as the next president of MRS, taking over from current president Saj Arshad.

Mattinson will bring a wealth of experience across research, opinion polling and public policy to her new role. One of the country’s most prominent political strategists, she advised Tony Blair prior to the 1997 election, then took on the role as chief pollster to Gordon Brown throughout his time as chancellor of the exchequer and as prime minister. Mattinson co-founded insight consultancy BritainThinks – now Thinks Insight & Strategy – in 2010. More recently, she spent three years as director of strategy in the office of Sir Keir Starmer in the run-up to the 2024 UK general election.

Mattinson steps into the role of MRS President during the organisation’s 80th anniversary year, in a move that reinforces its position as the leading voice for the sector. MRS is the world’s oldest professional body for research and insights, and it will reflect on eight decades of championing the sector and raising its standards. This includes MRS’ Campaign for Better Data, an industry-wide push to enhance data quality and handling skills particularly in an age of generative AI, which depends on robust proprietary data.

As the second largest research, insight and analytics market in the world after the United States, the UK sector punches above its weight. In the last financial year, its top 100 agencies grew by 4% on average, reflecting the strength of UK research at a time when the government is on the hunt for growth.

Deborah Mattinson, MRS President, comments: “This is an exciting time to be joining the MRS team – with its 80 years of success in guiding us through a hard-to-predict future. Our sector’s remarkable resilience is due to our continued relevance, and, right now, our unique skillset is needed more than ever. In a fast-changing world, information is power. Looking at the next 80 years, market researchers will continue to thrive by flexing their muscles and translating information into insight and strategy. We’ll relish the challenge.”

Jane Frost, MRS chief executive added: “We are delighted that Deborah will be taking on the President role. As we celebrate MRS’ 80th year, it is fantastic to have someone so widely respected and experienced who will bang the drum for this great profession and continue Saj Arshad’s excellent work.

“At a time when the financial and fiscal headroom for businesses and policymakers seems to tighten by the day, evidence matters more than ever. Our insights and expertise give them the confidence and clarity to make decisions that positively impact their bottom line, and people’s lives. We look forward to working with Deborah to keep expanding that impact.”

Deborah Mattinson will be joining Dex Hunter-Torricke (former Spacex) Kelly Beaver (CEO, Ipsos) and Eliot Higgins, Founder, BellingCat in the keynote plenary session entitled 'Finding consensus in a restless decade' at MRS Annual Conference.