We did experiment with various serious-sounding titles, such as ‘founding partner’ and ‘senior director’
but being a compact team with such an informal culture, we felt titles like Captain, Commander, Quartermaster and Shipmate better reflected the nature of the ship we are sailing. Ultimately, every single one of us is the highest-ranking officer on board - we don’t do hierarchy. The buck stops with everyone, which means you’re always talking to the right person.
Bors Hulesch
Captain
I'm a social scientist, a change management consultant, a climate hawk on a mission, and a dad of three raucous boys. I enjoy explosive activity, whether at work or in sports. The most challenging aspect of my job is to sit still and be quiet. I have been a researcher since 1997 and some have called me a qualitative maestro. Understanding the inner workings of people is what I enjoy the most.
Laura McDonald
Commander
I like nothing better than shutting my case, grabbing my passport and jumping on a plane. Whilst studying, I would talk tirelessly about exploring new Cities and Countries, so it was inevitable that travel would play a large part in my career and I never take that for granted.
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Cat Gibb
Skipper
I am an active, adventurous nature-lover who enjoys exploring the natural and cultural world with my family. I am a former nurse who took "the scenic route” via literature and languages to arrive in market research. I now have 15 years’ experience in qualitative pharma and diagnostics insights. I am a keen and caring observer of life and people, bringing my inquisitive and determined nature to answer my clients’ business questions.
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Dan Amarasinghe
Commodore
I like to think of myself as a creative yet pragmatic thinker, which I put down to my training as an anthropologist – examining and understanding abstract concepts like cultural myths, while at the same time piecing together scientific facts within human biology and ecology. Unfortunately for those around me though, this means that even in my personal life I’m incessantly asking questions and constantly seeking the elusive 360º perspective.
Niclas Holme
Admiral
I combine German pragmatism with British imagination. Originally from Germany I left to go to University in Nottingham. I have since lived in various parts of the UK, but still maintaining my close ties to Germany. When not working I spend time with my lovely wife Christina either in my home in Surrey cooking or flying to the south coast and beyond.
Sian Lewis
First Officer
Being half Welsh, half ‘Geordie’ I like nothing more than getting out of the big city and back into nature. And like any self-respecting Northerner, I love a good ‘natter’ (translation: talking). This makes me well suited to being a qually researcher, because I’m ultimately interested in people’s stories. For this reason, my primary expertise is research that delves into the customer’s experience, be that patient or practitioner, brand or disease. And with a passion for arts and crafts in my personal life, I bring this creativity to the work I deliver - from research design through to final debrief. I’m Head of Freshness at Brains and Cheek meaning I’m always looking at how we can continue to surprise and delight our clients. No death by PowerPoint on my watch!
Sonia Cespon
Lifesaver
I like to think of myself as warm, conscientious and hard-working and somewhat of a perfectionist, very much like the rest of the team. With over 15 years of field expertise as Project Manager and Research Assistant, there isn’t a thing I haven’t seen about agency life. I have a thorough understanding of internal operations such as field, data analysis and data processing, and I’m known for my ability to singlehandedly juggle multi-country studies without dropping any balls.
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