Judith Passingham started her career in market research in 1983 on BMRB’s Graduate recruitment programme. Since then she has worked on the TGI, on Media Measurements of all kinds at IMS, on Retailer services at AGB, and then a variety of assignments at TNS including New Business Development, Global Account Management, Loyalty Card Data Marketing, and Management of Joint Venture arrangements within Europanel and Asiapanel. In 2001, Judith was appointed as Global CEO for Worldpanel and was responsible for its expansion, both in service scope and geographic footprint, together with the global rebranding of the service.

Since 2007 Judith has worked in the TNS custom business. In 2009, she was responsible for the integration of TNS and Research International in Europe, and is currently CEO for Northern Europe. Judith is a long standing member of TNS’s Global Executive Team.

Vinay Ahuja is Associate Director for Consumer & Market Knowledge at Procter & Gamble with over 18 years experience. He has lived and worked in India, China, Belgium and Switzerland and is currently located in Dubai with responsibility for Consumer & Market Knowledge for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region. A prolific reader, Vinay is fascinated by the subject of how knowledge can be turned in to influence.

Diane Hessan is President and CEO of Communispace. She helped found the company in 1999, pioneering the creation of the first market research online communities (MROCs). Since then, Communispace has managed over 500 communities for over 120 global clients and has won a string of awards for innovation, excellence, and culture. With over 400 employees, Communispace has seen revenues triple over the last four years, and it boasts a 90% client retention rate.

Diane has spent her 30-year career helping companies become customer-focused—both as a business executive, and as co-author of the best-selling book Customer-Centered Growth: Five Strategies for Building Competitive Advantage. She has received many awards and citations for her leadership, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year (National Finalist), and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year. She sits on over a dozen boards, from the Advertising Research Foundation to the Boston Philharmonic.

A graduate of Tufts University and Harvard Business School, she is the mother of two grown daughters and co-founder of The Sound Bytes, an a cappella group that sings about business.

Fred John is part of MasterCard’s global intelligence team, responsible for managing global research efforts, including those related to corporate reputation and new product development. He is also responsible for developing and carrying out professional skills and insights training programs for internal staff at MasterCard. Fred has been in the survey research field since 1978, holding senior positions with a number of leading suppliers, including Yankelovich Partners, where he was responsible for their global network, before joining MasterCard in 2001.

Fred is an active member of ESOMAR and a recognised expert on international research and global marketing, as well as a keen observer of the industry itself. His paper on the downside of supplier consolidation was named the best presentation of 2004 by Research Conference Reports.

David Parma is President, Nielsen BASES and Nielsen Consumer Research at The Nielsen Company.

David is responsible for the strategic direction and investment priorities of Nielsen’s BASES and Consumer Research businesses globally and for developing solutions that integrate across the Company’s broad range of services with a special focus on Product Innovation.

David joined Nielsen in 2002, and headed BASES offices in Brussels and Milan prior to moving to the U.S. in 2006 to head the BASES NJ office. In 2007, he took on added responsibility as global leader of the BASES Analytical Resources Center located in Mumbai, India. In 2008, David was appointed President, Nielsen Consumer Research and in 2009 President, Nielsen BASES and Nielsen Consumer Research.

Prior to joining Nielsen, David held positions with Procter & Gamble working globally in several European, African and Asian markets, and with McKinsey & Company in Europe.

David has a University Degree in Chemistry (Bologna, Italy) and also an accomplished concert violinist education. He, his wife and three children live in New York City.

Prof. Dr. Niels Schillewaert is Professor of Marketing at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School and Managing Partner and Director of ForwaR&D Lab at InSites Consulting, a full service online market research company. He has been an ESOMAR member since 2006 and recently served as the ESOMAR Belgian Representative for two years.

Niels holds a Masters in Marketing and Ph.D. in Applied Economics and serves as an ISBM Research fellow at Penn State University. He was awarded for his research several times and has been published at Esomar as well as in leading scientific journals such as The Journal of Marketing, The International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Services Research, Industrial Marketing Management, The Journal of Business Research, The Journal of the Market Research Society and Information & Management.

Mr. Sthanunathan is the Vice President of Marketing Strategy & Insights of The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta heading up the function on a global basis. Prior to this role, Stan was Head of Knowledge & Insights for the Asia Group based in Hong Kong.

He started his career fourteen years ago in The Coca-Cola Company as Research Manager of the Middle East and North Africa Division based in London. Before joining Coca-Cola, Stan was General Manager of NFO in their Middle East, North Africa office based out of Dubai for five years.

His research career started in 1985 with Pathfinders: India with whom he was associated for almost seven years. Upon leaving, he was General Manager of the agency.

Stan earned his Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bombay University and followed this with his MBA from India Institute of Management in Bangalore, India.