Storytelling Summit 2025

Afsana Alam, Marketer, Penguin Random House

bio coming soon...

Beth Butterwick, CEO Clarendon Fine Art (former CEO Jigsaw Fashion)

bio coming soon...

Claire Brough, Head of Communications, Astra Zeneca

bio coming soon...

Anne Caffrey, Senior Research Manager, Nationwide 

Anne Caffrey leads the customer research team at Nationwide Building Society, with over two decades of experience across telecoms, retail, and financial services. She’s known for making research matter—bringing the real voice of the customer into decisions on brand, proposition, and service. Anne believes storytelling isn’t just a way to share insight—it’s how organisations connect, act with empathy, and make better choices. Her work is grounded in curiosity, imagination, and a belief that the best outcomes come when organisations stay close to the people they serve. 

Julius Colwyn, Director, Space Doctors

bio coming soon...

Susannah Croucher, Chief Impact Officer, MMR

My dynamic global role as champion of our company’s #bestinworld strategy varies from presenting high-impact internal and external events, delivering training across the globe down to providing strategic expertise on client projects. Driven by a passion that every communication, however big or small, should be impactful, story-led, commercial and purposeful, I am at my happiest when empowering others and thrive at the intersection of creativity and commerce—crafting stories that spark action and guiding teams and clients alike toward meaningful growth.

Grant Feller, Founder, Every Rung

bio coming soon...

Dr. Victoria Gerstman, Semiotician and Cultural Insights Specialist

Victoria has a PhD in Culture and Media and uses applied semiotics and cultural analysis to unlock industry challenges. She has lived in the US, UK, and Japan, and brings a multinational perspective to culture, foresight, and innovation. Victoria’s interest in cultural analysis started during her time at Columbia University, where she studied Anthropology and East Asian Languages. She also holds a Masters degree from the University of Chicago.

Katrien Gunn, Business Director, Verve

Katrien Gunn is a Business Director at Verve, with 15 years of experience in global research, working with brands across many industries and markets. More recently, Katrien has been focussing on the Finance and Telco industries, well-known for their struggles to build strong customer relationships over intangible products and services. She has recently consulted for major brands, including Three, Orange, John Lewis Financial Services, ZOPA, Unum and Nationwide. She is passionate about identifying unique spaces for brands to own, rooted in genuine consumer needs.

Keiley George, Head of Communications, Warwickshire Police (formerly, Head of Communications, NPCC)

bio coming soon...

Ross Hickie, Customer Research Analyst, Great Western Railway

bio coming soon...

Dr Allaina Kilby, Senior Research Officer, Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Allaina is a former digital media and journalism academic, now working as a full-time researcher at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  She specialises in qualitative research and leads the delivery of multiple projects in this area, bringing academic rigour and practical insight to her work. 

Dr Heidi Hasbrouck, Director of Ethnography, Ipsos UK

Heidi is a visual sociologist with over a decade’s experience applying ethnographic techniques to policy and public sector research. She is passionate about using ethnography for design, innovation and social good.

Rachael Holmes, Senior Director, Verian

Rachael Holmes is a Senior Director at Verian. Rachael spent 20 years in market research and advertising before embarking on a career in social research? A firm believer in the power of storytelling, she draws on her experience in shaping narratives from previous roles at Kantar, Interbrand and Grey to deliver insight with impact. Since joining Verian in 2019 Rachael has delivered impactful insights on a wide range of social issues and policy areas, from the challenges facing disabled transport users to the impact of the pandemic on children and young people.

Dr Vanja Ljeva, Chief Data Scientist, Kubic Intelligence

Dr. Ljevar is a Co-Founder of a cutting-edge behavioural analytics agency Kubik Intelligence, a Chief Data Scientist, a Board Member at University of Nottingham Business School, a keynote speaker, a published author, and a serial entrepreneur. She holds a multidisciplinary Ph.D. in Computer Science and Psychology and specialises in customer profiling using psychological and behavioural theories and patterns in big data to generate best-in-class customer insights. Vanja has carried out over 50 international projects across multiple sectors, including retail, telecommunication, healthcare, fashion, and media. Having one foot in academia, Vanja is also a guest lecturer and supervisor at the MSc course at the University of Nottingham. She has published multiple peer-reviewed academic papers, mostly on topics related to the use of big data for social good. Her latest work on cyberbullying on Twitter was published by the Independent. 

Caroline Mayhew Gardner, Global Marketing and Brand Leader, The RealReal

bio coming soon...

Dr Jo Meredith, Associate Director, Magenta

bio coming soon...

Karis O’Leary-Smith, Research Partner, One Minute to Midnight

Karis is a Research Partner at One Minute to Midnight, where she helps global brands harness the power of human truths to make great things happen. With a passion for storytelling and insight, she leads an exceptional team working with some of the world’s most iconic brands—like TikTok, Ancestry, The LEGO Group, and Unilever. Karis is driven by a belief that the best stories begin with understanding people deeply, and she works closely with clients to bring those truths to life in powerful, actionable ways.

Anna Ryder, Director of Killed Women Charity

bio coming soon...

Eric Salama, Chair of Verian (former CEO Kantar)

bio coming soon...

Melissa Shamberg, Director of TV Audience and Content Insights & Research, Warner Bros. Television Group

Melissa acts as the Vice President of TV Audience & Content Research and Insights at Warner Bros. TV, serving as a key business partner to stakeholders across the organization. In this role, Melissa spearheads television landscape analyses and IP development while also focusing on the ever changing world of viewer behavior and emerging trends. She has extensive experience in strategic storytelling used to capture shifts in the entertainment arena used to bolster the studio’s slate. Melissa previously held roles at HBO Max and Lionsgate

Elisabeth Serna, Director, Global Research, Insights, & Analytics, Warner Bros. Discovery

Elisabeth has been guiding research strategy at WBD for over a decade, with roles in international, marketing, and HBO Max content research groups. Now, supporting Global Content Sales, she leverages her expertise in qualitative and quantitative analysis, market intelligence, and storytelling to transform data into compelling narratives, enhancing understanding of consumer behavior and global content trends.

Hannah Shrimpton, Research Director, Public Affairs, Ipsos

bio coming soon...

Angus Smith, Research Manager, Ipsos ECE

Angus is an ethnographic specialist with a background of conducting sensitive research with vulnerable and seldom-heard groups. He trained in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative approaches before specialising in anthropology at Ipsos.

Sarah Stone, VP of Strategy, Hypothesis Group

With over 20 years of experience as a marketer, Sarah’s led client and agency teams, working with everything from pre-launch start-ups to the world’s biggest brands. Whether it’s tech, retail, or entertainment, Sarah loves solving the puzzle. Prior to Hypothesis, Sarah held senior positions at Disney, Hulu, Kelton, and Westfield. She has a Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern and a B.A. in Communications from UCLA.

Leanne Tomasevic, UK & US Head of Insights, Tracksuit

bio coming soon...

Maxine Walter, Director of Insights (International), Ancestry

Maxine leads the International Consumer Insight team at Ancestry, bringing over 20 years of experience in the global FMCG and tech sectors. She specialises in transforming complex data into clear, actionable strategies that drive business growth. Maxine spearheads qualitative and quantitative research across established and emerging markets, develops tracking systems to monitor consumer behaviour, and delivers insights that guide customer acquisition and satisfaction. Known for translating intricate data into powerful stories, she bridges the gap between consumer understanding and business objectives—ensuring insights don’t just inform decisions, but inspire action and deliver measurable results.

David Wright, Co-Founder & Director of AI and Data, Hello Ara  

David Wright is Director and Co-Founder of Hello Ara. With a BSc from New Zealand, he began his tech career in London and held innovation roles at New Zealand Telecom and American Express in Singapore. He later led tech innovation for market research at Kantar. At Hello Ara, David focuses on Conversational AI, research in immersive gaming environments like Roblox, and advanced data analytics. He is also developing AI-powered, data-backed workshop productivity tools that enhance brainstorming and insight generation. His work bridges technology and human understanding to shape the future of research and decision-making.