Market research is all about people—not only the consumers but also the professionals doing the research. Gary was initially drawn to the industry because of his passion for what makes consumers tick; he has stayed because this interest has not waned, and because he’s added a passion for coaching and developing other researchers. This combination makes his role as EVP of Market Research Services the ideal fit: he gets to think daily about research challenges, but also about how to build a fantastic team.
Gary believes in customization: he isn’t a fan of cookie-cutter approaches, nor does he think that researchers should be put in “silos,” only asked to program a survey or manage a project or generate insights. Instead, his strongly-held view is that the best research is customized to address specific business objectives and is led by those who understand and are involved in all aspects of a study, from design to data collection to analysis.
After completing his master’s degree, Gary started his professional life as an economist. He began his career as a market researcher in 1996, and since then, has designed and directed quantitative research in many industries as well as for public sector clients. He has led studies on complex product design and pricing, large-scale multi-modal customer loyalty, and wide reaching public opinion measurement. Gary has also had two stints leading the data collection group at Advanis, so he has a fundamental understanding of the maxim “garbage in, garbage out.”
In 2021, Gary acquired an ESOMAR membership alongside earning his CAIP designation from the Canadian Research Insights Council .
Gary’s fascination with people extends to his roles of husband (for just a bit longer than he’s been at Advanis) and father (to three amazing kids). He continues to learn as much about human and consumer behaviour from his family as from his work.
