The candidates for the 2015-2016 ESOMAR Council were recently announced at ESOMAR’s 2014 Annual General Meeting held on Monday 8 September 2014 at the ESOMAR Congress in Nice, France. Nominations were invited for the two-year term from January 2015 to December 2016, with ten Council vacancies to be filled: 1 President, 1 Vice President and 8 Council Members. Kristin Luck is sharing on her journey as a Council member candidate.
Kristin Luck
With over 18 years of experience, I’ve served in pretty much every role in the market research industry from phone interviewer and tab checker to CEO. Most recently, I’ve roamed the globe as President & CMO at Decipher – focusing on new client development and serving as our resident brand evangelist, which means I spend most of my time on the road, meeting with clients and collaborating with researchers and technology providers both within and outside of our industry.
I’ve spent the last 60 days (yes, 60!), meeting with prospective clients, attending research events around the world, meeting with start-ups at tech events, guest lecturing to University students (who I’m sure taught me much more than I taught them) and, along the way, doing my best to try new things and stay out of my comfort zone. I also connected with a lot of amazing ESOMAR members. In London, I debated marketing strategy and brand architecture with one. In Berlin, I had a walking lunch while talking about the future of wearable technology with another. I watched a room of seasoned researchers cheer on presenters vying for Young Researcher of the Year in Cannes. I ran into another member by chance on the streets of Amsterdam and was offered an impromptu bike tour (unfortunately declined due to a client meeting). I was invited to a live karaoke jam in Singapore by a member in China and in November, I’ll be speaking on cross platform media measurement in Oslo thanks to the invitation of another.
As I flew back home to the US, it occurred to me that I likely would not have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with this diverse group of global friends and colleagues were it not for my involvement in ESOMAR. Diverse, global perspectives are the fuel that drives innovation and growth. More than ever, diversity both within our industry and within ESOMAR is of paramount importance.
ESOMAR elections are upon us and we have a large group of candidates running for election (31 running just for Council alone, myself included!). When you look at gender, nationality, age and position in the industry, this is the most diverse group of candidates ever nominated for an ESOMAR election. From mid-level managers to CEO’s in the running, this is your first real opportunity to elect a Council that can truly represent ESOMAR’s diverse membership base.
Given our quickly evolving industry, we need a council that represents the ESOMAR of the future- and that means a Council that includes more women (who make up well over half our industry, yet held only one council seat in 2013/2014) and young researchers, as well as members from the US and emerging markets that have not been well represented in the past; regions where ESOMAR has the greatest opportunities for growth.
My hope for all ESOMAR members is that you have the same opportunities that I’ve had to connect with your ESOMAR colleagues. Let’s elect a diverse Council that is experienced at driving global collaboration and innovation in meaningful ways. It’s election time. Use your voice and vote!
