Four Join Advisory Board at Women In Research

Global insight industry non-profit organization Women In Research (WIRe) has added four new members to its Advisory Board: Mario Carrasco, Michelle Gansle, Anita Rao Kapur and Lisa Wilding-Brown. Four members who have completed their term will step down.

WIRe champions diversity in the marketing research industry, helping women and 'other marginalized groups' with professional development, networking and training. Last month the organization, which partners with MrWeb on job advertising, announced a new structure, promoting Marketing and Events Director Jessica Sage to Executive Director and appointing Mandy Burkholder to replace her at Manager level, while former MD Michelle Andre has moved to the role of Director of Development.

Carrasco is the co-founder and principal of US Hispanic and multicultural markets research specialist ThinkNow, and WIRe says he is a dedicated champion of diversity and inclusion who 'takes his activism from the C-suite to Main Street, contributing articles to and being cited in national publications' - including Forbes, The LA Times, The New York Times and Fortune Magazine. In 2023 he was elected Chair of the SampleCon Board of Directors, and he was WIRe's choice for 2023 MRX Diversity Champion, recognizing his lifetime contributions.

Gansle is Chief Data and Analytics Officer at McDonald's, leading its Data, Analytics and AI practice, and has 30 years' experience including leadership of the chain's Global Insights and Analytics team. She worked previously at Mars Wrigley and other brands including Clorox, and was also elected as a Board Director of US trade body the Insights Association.

Rao Kapur is a senior consumer research & analytics leader, formerly at LinkedIn where she led a team delivering insights from its first party data and third-party research resources to empower businesses to reach, engage and convert their professional audience at scale across APAC.

Wilding-Brown brings more than twenty years' experience of the MR industry, and currently serves as CEO at sampling and panels firm InnovateMR + Ivy Exec.

Leaving the Board on completion of their term are four others, Jo Brockhurst, Laura Chaibi, Damon Jones and Cherie Leonard; while six current Directors remain in post: Jackie Chan (Meta), Emma Cooper (System1 Group), Shazia Ginai (Exhale Expand Ltd.), Tiama Hanson-Drury (Minna Technologies, a Mastercard Company), Alex Owens (Unilever), and Elaine Rodrigo (Reckitt).

Sage says of the new arrivals, 'These additions to WIRe's Advisory Board perfectly capture the dynamic spirit of WIRe and the evolving world of data and insights. Mario, Michelle, Anita, and Lisa have been pivotal as mentors, event leads, donors, and community thought leaders. We're thrilled to have their insight and expertise steering us forward in 2025'.

Web site: www.womeninresearch.org .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.