Obituary: Prevision Research Founder Martin Walls

Martin Walls, the founder and former Managing Director of B2B data collection business Prevision Research, died on Friday 24th February at the age of 68, after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Walls (pictured) began his research career in 1991 at HSBC, rising to Head of Consumer Research. After thirteen years at the bank he left to join Outlook Research as Qualitative Director, and in 2006 he became an Account Director at 20/20 Research.

In 2009, Walls founded specialist B2B telephone and now online data collection agency Prevision Research, in Milton Keynes. His vision was to provide the sort of service he had valued while working client-side, which included delivering 'super-fast quotes, high quality data, and exceptional service'. Prevision gained a reputation for accessing difficult-to-reach audiences, including B2B samples, housing association tenants, professional services and trade audiences.

A decade later, Walls sold his remaining stake in the company to full service agency PurpleMR - which had acquired an initial stake a couple of years previously. Walls continued to work in the business on a consultancy basis, but retired later that year, with the intention of learning to speak Greek and spending more time travelling.

According to Prevision Research MD Stephen Bairfelt, employees describe Walls as being more of a friend than a boss. 'He cared passionately for his staff and was always willing to make time to help them. He never forgot little things like buying breakfast on a Friday, lending money to staff to help them fix a car, and taking the team to a top London restaurant every year to celebrate Xmas. I got to know Martin when we purchased the business. He was a tough negotiator, but also honest and honourable throughout'.

Walls is survived by his son, Dec and stepdaughter, Emma.