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The MRS Leaders Forum is a unique network for insight agency business leaders (CEOs and MDs) to discuss the critical strategic, operational and financial challenges and opportunities in running and growing an insight agency.

This intimate and exclusive network provides a focussed space for senior leaders to extend their understanding and skills whilst being frank about their current challenges. It’s the perfect forum to explore new sector-specific ideas, and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and leaders.

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Why join?

  • Accelerate your personal leadership development
  • Gain access to B2B experts who can help solve specific growth, strategic, and operational challenges
  • Absorb inspiring ideas from agency leaders who have cracked some of the tough problems
  • Exchange views and problem-solve key business challenges with insight leaders tackling similar issues
  • Connect with a peer-to-peer mentoring network which will last beyond the year long programme


What makes the MRS Leaders Forum different to other leadership programmes?

Not only will you connect and collaborate with other leaders, you’ll also be able to discuss the very specific challenges and business dynamics of the insight sector. We know that it’s harder than ever to retain client value; we know that disrupters in the broader insight ecosystem are making winning new business challenging; we know that recruitment and retention has never been tougher; we know that business leaders are facing a hurricane of new strategic decisions. That’s why we’ve designed a programme of events that will support leaders to power through these challenges and continue to grow through changing times.

Venue

May Fair Hotel
Stratton Street,London,W1J 8LT

More details of the venue can be found at their website. Visit it here.

Pam Armstrong

Pam is a seasoned market research professional who after a career spanning over three decades of leading teams and working closely with clients to shape strategic decisions, took the decision to take a career diversion into recruiting within the sector.

Pam’s career began client side, but she switched to agency life at the start of the 1990s. Over the years, she has worked across sectors ranging from FMCG, Retail, Healthcare and Public Sector, leading global and single market projects that have influenced brand strategy and customer experience initiatives across multiple brands and clients.

Pam brings to recruitment a deep understanding of the sector and the skills and experience needed to excel in different areas. Her exposure to leading large and diverse teams and the recruitment she led for those teams, gives her a valuable and unique perspective on the recruitment journey. Her reputation isn’t just built on her skills - it’s built on her integrity, curiosity and empathy, plus her understanding that excellent recruitment is a critical component of business success.

Now consulting independently as a Partner at Daughters of Sailors, Pam continues to use her various skills and experience to help ensure the best people are placed in the right roles.

 

Rachael Fraser

Rachael helps leaders navigate their role with clarity and confidence, unlock the potential in their teams and accelerate the human skills that lead to commercial growth in an increasingly AI driven world.

  • LEADERSHIP ACCELERATION 4 TEAMS
  • 1:1 COACHING
  • WORKSHOPS & TALKS
  • ACCELERATED BOOK CLUB

With 20 years’ experience working in insight - both agency and client side - and taking a classic career path from graduate scheme to board level, Rachael understands the world of insight.

Building on this commercial experience, Rachael is now a professionally trained and certified leadership coach helping individuals and businesses excel.

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Josephine Hansom

Josephine helps organisations future-proof their business by better understanding the next generation. She does this through thought leadership, training and talks.

Thought Leadership - Working with clients who want to crystalise the potential young people can bring to their business

Training - 10 steps to set your junior workforce up for success

Talks - Inspiring audiences to rethink the future of their business

Josepine was the Managing Director of YouthSight Research (since acquired by Savanta) and now offers her own consultancy solutions. She is well known on the conference circuit and recently represented the interests of young people at the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee when it discussed the future of news.

She is also an elected member of the MRS Board, was made a fellow of the MRS in 2022, recently stepped down as the MRS EDI Chair and is a founding member of MRSPride.

LinkedIn


Richard Heath

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Richard has been in market research all his career, first in brand and communications with Kantar and most recently with Blue Yonder in R&D. He has always worked across global markets and has been based in London, Singapore and now Leeds. Richard has been leading teams of researchers for 15 years. His approach combines a focus on creating positive progressive cultures talented people want to be part of, whilst also retaining commercial pragmatism and building organized structures which grow the business and its people. Richard led Millward Brown (and then Kantar’s brand and comms domain) in Singapore for 3 years. He then moved home to lead Blue Yonder. Blue Yonder is a multiple MRS award winning international R&D insight agency. It is also a complex team of 50+ people and one of the fastest growing independent agencies in the UK.

08.30 09.00
Registration & coffee
 
09.00-09.10
Introduction from the Chair
Sinead Jefferies, Senior Vice President, Zappi
09.10-09.40
Rethinking recruitment: a new era for talent attraction
  • How to align employer and employee expectations:
    -      balancing flexibility, culture, and business needs

  • Highlighting innovative approaches that are reshaping talent acquisition

    -       examining alternative pipelines & unexplored talent avenues
  • Bringing candidate identity back into recruitment practices
  • Weighing up how best to deploy AI in recruitment for best outcomes
Chair
Richard Heath, CEO, Blue Yonder Research
 
Panellists
Pam Armstrong, Partner, Daughters Of Sailors
Bethan Coe, Head of Recruitment & Future Talent, Ipsos
Suzy Hassan, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Potentia Insight
 
09.40-10.10
In-conversation with young researchers: appreciating the employee experience
  • What are the first 5 years of being a research practitioner like and how it could be improved?
  • What are the factors that encourage young researchers to stay in that first role?
Led by: Josephine Hansom, Gen Z Consultant
 
10.10-10.40
Leading with impact: inspiring teams and shaping culture
  • Discover simple strategies to inspire, motivate and reward in a way that resonates with your team
  • Learn how you can lead culture with confidence and authenticity (even as a numbers person)
  • Acquire practical tips for building a comfortably diverse and inclusive environment
Rachael Fraser, Leadership Coach (CPCC ACC)
 
10.40-11.10
Morning refreshments
11.10-12.10
Peer advisory round table discussion
Come to the forum with a recruitment, team or culture challenge you’d like help solving. Working in small groups, delegates will select two challenges to tackle. Share ideas, hear alternative approaches and find out what’s worked for others.
 
12.10 -12.20
wrap-up
12.30
Lunch
 

 


Additional Information

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