Cultural Insights
Conference 2026

Mariline Alsuar, Global Insights Director for Intimate Wellness, Reckitt

Shaun Barton, Managing Partner, d+m

Kerstin Bickelmann, Director, Yonder Consulting
Kerstin Bickelmann is a Director at Yonder Consulting. With expertise in qualitative research, cultural sense-making and a background in social sciences, she helps clients translate complex human and cultural stories into actionable insights and clear narratives.

Oryelle Clements, Associate Research Director, Pulsar Platform
Oryelle is Associate Research Director at Pulsar, whose specialty focuses on finding and interpreting human behaviour in data.

Alessia Clusini, Digital Ethnographer and CEO, Trybes Agency
Alessia Clusini is the co-founder of London-based Trybes Agency. Since 2016, she has pioneered Hybrid IntelligenceAÆ, blending ethnography, psychology, and AI to decode people, culture, and communities. Her work translates human complexity into strategic insights that drive growth, innovation, and more resonant brand experiences.
Alessia has led projects across sectors, from luxury to healthcare, ageing to tech, media to automotive, for global organisations as well as ambitious challengers, always with a focus on cultural decoding and consumer co-creation. A multi-award-winning ethnographer, she is known for her aÄúsartorialistaÄù approach: designing research as a tailored craft that bridges rigour with creativity.

Konrad Collao, Founder, Craft
Konrad founded Craft in 2011. He is a Fellow of the MRS. With over 20 years' experience, Konrad specialises in working with clients in the entertainment, sports and media sectors. He's helped develop and market some of the world's biggest TV hits, been instrumental in imagining and developing a cricket competition valued at over A£1bn, and shared stages with luminaries such as Laura Whitmore and Sam from Made in Chelsea. HeaÄôs also researched a TV show starring Katie Hopkins, so itaÄôs not all sunshine.

Nicholas Cook, Associate Director, The Good Side
Nick Cook is an Associate Director at The Good Side, where he works at the intersection of research, strategy, and social impact. Nick now focuses on projects that amplify youth voice and bring evidence into meaningful collaboration. He currently leads TGS’s partnership with UNICEF UK, helping connect young people’s perspectives to strategy and practice. Nick is passionate about creating spaces where young people can shape the agendas that affect them most. In this panel, he moderates the conversation between UNICEF and The Good Collective, exploring how evidence and youth voices can drive impact together.

Danilo Cressman, Senior Market Analyst, UNICEF UK
Danilo Cressman is a Senior Market Analyst at UNICEF UK, where he supports departments and functions at UNICEF by ‘bringing the outside in’, ensuring evidence drives strategy. Using both in-house research and collaborative work with agencies, insights into what the public think, how audiences behave and how our operating context is shifting are gathered, analysed and baked into day to day operations. Danilo has worked on the community building initiative alongside Angie since 2024, guaranteeing young people’s voices are championed first and foremost. He finds young people’s conversations inspiring, often wishing to be a participant rather than the researcher.

Becs Goodwin, Category Development Controller, Müller UK & Ireland
As Category Development Controller at MAºller Milk & Ingredients, Becs Goodwin leverages extensive experience across leading FMCG organisations (Danone, Warburtons, MAºller) to shape commercially robust, insight-led category strategies. Partnering with industry bodies and research agencies, Becs and her team deliver thought leadership, influence the retail landscape, and drive customer-centric solutions aligned to long-term business strategy.

Sophie Gray, Senior Campaign Manager - Get into Teaching, Department for Education
Sophie Gray is brand and insight manager for the Department for Education’s teacher recruitment campaign. She has a background in advertising, publishing and academia.

Roberta Graham, Director, Space Doctors
As a Director, Roberta Graham works across the insight and creative strategy teams. Over her 6+ years at Space Doctors, she has managed global accounts for brands such as Durex, Bacardi, P&G, and Pentland. She has a keen interest in the intersection of gender, sexuality, and culture, allowing her to play a key role in projects focused on the future of representation. As a graduate of Central Saint Martins, she has a strong creative background and design knowledge, which she applies to her semiotic work to help create strategically meaningful brand futures.

Emily Gunn, Research Manager, 2CV Research
Emily is a Research Manager in the quantitative team at 2CV. With over 6-yearsaÄô experience, Emily has worked across a broad range of subjects and sectors spanning both the social and commercial clients. Emily is passionate about representation and is a core member of 2CVaÄôs accessibility working group, where she works with colleagues to review and build research methods and materials that are accessible to all. Emily believes that in bringing the voice of all members of society to the boardroom, we are able to deliver impactful insights which can enact meaningful and impactful change.

Angie Kalou, Youth Voice Specialist, UNICEF UK

Laurie Kearns, Insight Manager - Drama & Comedy, BBC Studios
Laurie Kearns is an Insights Manager at BBC Studios, specialising in scripted content and brand strategy. With nine years in media insights, he supports creative teams using audience analytics and market trends to guide strategic decisions. HeaÄôs worked on shows like Casualty, Sherwood, Doctor Who, and Mrs BrownaÄôs Boys. Recent projects include U.S. audience preferences for British content, a 20-year TV clustering analysis, and a study of the true crime genre.

Mark Lemon, Director, Sign Salad
Mark is a Director at Sign Salad and leads their in-house language analysis offering. Working as a semiotician and cultural analyst at Sign Salad for 10+ years he has supported brands globally on cultural, semiotics and language analyses across the food & beverage, energy, media, healthcare/pharma, and public sectors.
Mark has led projects looking to guide design innovation and change consumer behaviour in the diary, alcohol, and health and wellness spaces., and prides himself on delivering clear and actionable insights with real world payoffs.   

Seb Mitchinson, Insight Manager, HSBC
Seb Mitchinson is marketing and insight professional with over 20 years of experience largely focused on the financial services sector. Currently in HSBC’s Global Communications & Brand function, Seb’s been with HSBC since 2014 working previously in their Global Marketing division, across both B2B and B2C audiences. Since 2020, Seb has been focussed on all things Brand and has played a central role in informing HSBC master brand purpose, promise and target audience as well as developing and measuring HSBC’s global brand building activity. Prior to this Seb had an agency background, including working at Ipsos.

Kate Owen, Group Research Director, 2CV Research
Kate is a Group Research Director at 2CV, leading the Social Practice. Kate has over 20 years brand, communications and strategy experience spanning public, voluntary and private sectors. Skilled in both qualitative and quantitative methods, she is passionate about ensuring research has impact throughout the organisation through the art of simple, succinct storytelling. In addition, Kate has also worked closely with third sector organisations on health-related behaviours (alcohol, gambling and online harms) and provision of affordable housing. Kate has a keen interest in research ethics and participant wellbeing to ensure all voices are heard through provision of safe research spaces.

Sophia Lucena Phillips, Project Director, Sign Salad

Elliot Pigram, Global Managing Director, Crowd DNA
Elliot Pigram has worked at Crowd DNA since 2018, first in London and later based in Sydney, before taking up the leadership role in 2023.

Sunaina Schultz, Senior Research Manager, Microsoft
Sunaina Schultz is lead market research for Copilot, in support of product marketing and go-to-market teams as well as Microsoft AI.

Josh Sorene, Head of Brand Insight, HSBC
Josh leads HSBC’s Brand Insight function, which has a bank-wide remit to put the customer at the heart of decision making. During his 12 years at HSBC, Josh has led various insight teams with experience across brand, marketing, communications, proposition development, and customer experience. A graduate in sociology, Josh began his research career agency-side, specialising in public sector and social research before moving into financial services. Josh is passionate about using behavioural science (alongside traditional research methodologies) to get beyond rational consumer answer and use insights to drive behaviour change and commercial growth.

Oliver Sweet, Head of Ethnography, Ipsos
Oliver is a business anthropologist with 20 years experience, who has just written a book on how cultural insight can transform businesses. From cultural trends, to anthopologicla insight, ranging from the UK to Australia, the book uses an all encompassing framework designed for everyone to use. Oliver is no stranger to the MRS and conference speaking, having chaired the MRS Digital Ethnography conference for three years running.

Alain Thys, Founder, The Transformation Architects
Alain Thys is Founder of The Transformation Architects, a global collective of scientists, artists, and strategists helping organisations unlock premium growth through transformation. With over 30 years in customer experience and business transformation, he has advised brands including Lexus, ING, Generali, and Reebok, influencing the lives of more than 500 million customers in 100+ countries. A frequent advisor to executives and boards, Alain specialises in moving organisations beyond incremental change toward meaningful, future-ready journeys. He also co-founded Ars Moriendi, the worldaÄôs first deathcare transformation lab, pioneering new approaches to end-of-life experiences.

Robin Tilotta, Head of Brand & Global Marketing, Twitch
Robin leads Brand & Global Marketing at Twitch, having previously held senior consumer marketing roles at Twitter.  

Tom Wustenberghs, CEO, Pontes
Tom Wustenberghs is CEO of Pontes, BelgiumaÄôs largest crematorium group, where he leads strategy, operations, and innovation across three sites in Antwerp and Limburg. A lawyer by training and a judge in social affairs, Tom has dedicated his career to public service and cultural transformation. At Pontes, he has championed a radical rethinking of deathcare, moving beyond formulaic rituals to create more meaningful, future-ready experiences. He is also co-founder of Ars Moriendi, a transformation lab reimagining end-of-life services, and serves on several boards in the funeral and public governance sectors across Europe.Alessia has led projects across sectors, from luxury to healthcare, ageing to tech, media to automotive, for global organisations as well as ambitious challengers, always with a focus on cultural decoding and consumer co-creation. A multi-award-winning ethnographer, she is known for her aÄúsartorialistaÄù approach: designing research as a tailored craft that bridges rigour with creativity.