Steering Group Profiles

Ruth Buchanan

Ruth is currently Insight Manager for Royal Mail Group, with specific responsibility for managing research on HomePhone, travel products and brand tracking. Previously Ruth managed customer research and market and competitor intelligence for Virgin Megastores; and continuous market research for Barclaycard. She completed the Barclays management training scheme after graduating in Psychology and Philosophy from Oxford University.

Ruth won Research Magazine's Research Newcomer of the Year Award 2006

Paul Crooke

Paul works for Essential Research which specializes in consumer research and consultancy within the media, entertainment, technology and communication sectors. Prior to Essential Paul has worked for various sized organisations from the small independent to the global marketing service group WPP.

Paul has been involved with the MRS R-Net since the start.

Paul lives in Henley and sculls/rows for Henley rowing club.

Jo-Ann Foo

Jo-Ann Foo is an Associate Director at Illuminas.  Her six years research experience is drawn from working across a variety of industries as a qualitative-quantitative researcher in both Australia and UK.  She also has client-side experience working for a major government tourism organisation.

Jo-Ann holds a Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Marketing and Accounting from the University of Technology Sydney where she was the recipient of the Dow Corning Research Scholarship in Marketing.  She was awarded the Mike Larbelestier Conference Scholarship as a young researcher (from the NSW division of the Australian Market and Social Research Society).  At this time Jo-Ann was involved in establishing the Young Researchers Group (YRG) in NSW.  One of her career goals is to raise the profile of the industry so that ‘we’re not just people with clipboards harassing people on the street’ and encourage more young graduates to consider market research as a career.

Jo-Ann has been in the UK London since May 2005 and, despite missing the sea, sun and laid back lifestyle of Australia, continues to be dazzled by the bright lights of London.

Andrew Osman

An Associate Member of the MRS, Andrew is Head of Strategy for Meade Investments, where he heads a team specialising in research, marketing and strategy.

Over the past few years Andrew has undertaken projects in many countries including the US, Romania and South Africa and on subjects as diverse as agricultural tractor sales, the nightclub industry, trends in international banking, and the rail travel market. A graduate in history from the University of York, he has previously spent time client side and agency side as well as a period working in a leading management consultancy.

Katka Rysova

Katka Rysova works as a Senior Research Executive for NMG Financial Services Consulting, with specific responsibility for managing research within the independent financial advice sector. Over the past three and a half years Katka has undertaken a number of quantitative ad hoc projects across Europe.

Katka holds Masters’ degrees in Mathematics and Physics with teacher training from the University of J. E. Purkyne, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. In June 2007, she obtained the MRS Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research. Katka is an Associate Member of MRS and a member of the steering group for R-Net, the MRS network for young and new researchers.

She has been living and working in the UK for 5 years.

Andrew Therkelsen

Andrew is a Director at Discovery Research and in his 7 years of research experience has worked in a multitude of markets both domestically and globally.

 An RNET steering group member since 2005, he is passionate about promoting young people in the industry. He is also a committee member of the Association for Qualitative Research and has specific responsibilities for education.