Flexible working – making it work for research and insight

Sinéad Jefferies introduces a panel of senior professionals to discuss different perspectives on flexible working in the research industry. As well as sharing their own experiences, panellists will explore the benefits and challenges of flexible working before opening up the debate to our audience.

What you’ll learn:

• Points of view on how the research industry is supporting flexible working
• How to make it work and different approaches that have proven to work
• An opportunity to share ideas, questions and challenges with a group of industry peers
• Discussion on a topic that can help the research industry become more inclusive and do more to embrace diversity

June’s Speaker Evening is chaired by Sinéad Jefferies from insight agency Watermelon, who will introduce the session by talking about her own personal experience of flexible working as well as her research, and then chair a panel discussion with:

• Kate Reeve, Research Manager, British Film Institute – offering a clientside perspective and personal experience of looking for a role with flexibility
• Paul Thomas, Global Head of Inisght, Asahi – a client who is passionate about the subject of flexible working
• Damon Thomas, Senior Associate, Hasson Associates Recruitment - a research industry recruiter who provides a broader perspective on trends she is seeing in the industry
• Eve Dixon, Global Transformation Director, Kantar
• Adele Mann,  Research Manager, Join the Dots – one of the research industry’s most forward-thinking agencies on flexibility and new working models

The panel members will share their own perspectives on flexible working, offering ideas for how to make it work, identifying challenges they have faced and how they’ve overcome them, and presenting their views on the benefits flexible working can bring.

A chaired discussion will follow, giving audience members the opportunity to put questions to the panel and explore the topic further, as well as to share their own experiences and views.

About the session chair:

Sinéad Jefferies has worked in research and insight for 20 years, holding senior roles in clientside teams as well as having substantial agency experience. 

Sinéad led the Insight & Business Intelligence team in Royal Mail, running a team of 15 insight managers and analysts with a multi-million pound research budget, before leaving to join Chime’s Insight & Engagement division in 2010.

Sinéad’s areas of expertise include customer experience and satisfaction, brand and reputation research, as well as overall strategic direction, vision and values. She has worked with clients including Fujitsu, TSB, Royal Mail, HMRC, BBC and TfL.  Since 2015 she has been living in France with her young family, working from home for 3-4 days a week and travelling to London once a month for meetings.

Bookings:

Bookings will open approximately 6 weeks before each event. 

This event is free for MRS members. Non-members are welcome to attend for a fee of £25.00 + VAT, which must be paid in advance.

If you would like to join MRS to enable you to attend this event for free and take advantage of the other benefits of membership please click here.