The Nominees – JVS 2023

Martin Filz

Martin Filz is one of the most highly respected and influential leaders in global research and was appointed as CEO of Pureprofile in 2020. A pioneer of online measurement and research, Martin has more than two decades of experience as a leader across the technology, media and research sectors.

At Pureprofile, Martin leads a global team across North America, Europe and APAC to deliver rich insights into real human behaviour through cutting-edge ResTech and SaaS solutions. He has been responsible for restructuring and reorienting the business towards growth and building the company’s market-leading data and insights capabilities.

Having built and led businesses in multilingual environments across Asia Pacific and Europe, Martin has deep knowledge and expertise across business processes, technology and sales and marketing methodologies. Prior to joining Pureprofile, he was Managing Director of Eureka AI, where he also acted as Global Chief Revenue Officer. He previously held senior positions at Kantar-owned Lightspeed Research – including stints as CEO EMEA and CEO APAC. Previous to that he was Managing Director (EMEA and APAC) at Research Now (now Dynata) and has also worked in leadership roles at Capgemini, Nielsen and Citect.

Martin is active in many digital and research bodies including The Australian Data and Insights Association (ADIA) – where he currently holds the position of Non-Executive Director – The Research Society (TRS), ESOMAR, the Market Research Society (MRS), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). 

Rob McLachlan

In his most recent day job, Rob McLachlan was a Director at TRA Australia, and before that Chairman of Kantar Australia/NZ. Prior to his chairman’s role, Rob was Chief Executive Officer of WPPAuNZ’s Data Investment Management Group, having worked at WPP AUNZ (previously the STW Group) for more than 12 years, in a range of senior finance and operations roles. Prior to joining the group, he was Finance Director at ACNielsen for 19 years, and CFO at AGB McNair.

Rob has been an integral part of AMRO/AMSRO/ADIA since the inception of AMRO in the early nineties. Rob held the role of AMSRO President from 1996 to 2000 and Treasurer from 2002 to 2018. He was also pivotal in making AMSRO professional, helping drive the appointment of Sarah Campbell as a full-time Executive Director to take the Association forward. Additionally, Rob was Chair of the Industrial Relations Committee and was pivotal in getting all of the NUW/UWU Agreements to date across the line.

Jim Reed

Jim Reed is driven to produce (and teaching others to produce) the most accurate and insightful research we can, thereby informing the public properly and helping to restore the industry’s reputation in the process. 

With over 30 years in the research industry, Jim occupied senior positions at Crosby|Textor and Newgate Research working across the Anglosphere before founding Resolve. He now specialises in research for campaigns and advocacy, including with governments, but has worked in a wide variety of industries including: health, pharma, social issues, politics, tourism, resources, published polling & government.

As a leader in his field, he regularly contributes to industry journals and conferences on specialist research topics. He mentors people in the sector and has served on TRS’s education committee. 

Jim is pollster for The SMH and The Age where he returned the most accurate poll for the 2022 federal election, is a veteran of 20 general elections as a party pollster (with just 2 losses!) and has worked on numerous research-driven campaigns in recent years; as pollster for Yes Equality (same-sex marriage vote) and on various tax, legislation and funding campaigns worldwide.

Since setting up Resolve he has polled three general elections for the Nine newspapers (RPM), calling all three results correctly – something no other polling company can equal.  His polling was also used to inform the Federal Government’s first six-month response to COVID, widely regarded as one of the best in the world, and is currently polling on the Voice referendum.

Jim has championed new methods for greater accuracy in published polling since the ‘2019 polling failure’, and also stresses the importance of giving people extra insights that go beyond simple vote measures, e.g. public sentiment on issues and policy. 

Laura Robbie

Laura has worked in the market research industry since 2005, with a career spanning Europe, the US and Asia Pacific. Currently APAC CEO for International Data Analytics and Insights Business, YouGov, Laura has an extensive network in the Australian market and beyond. She is a people focused leader, committed to making Market Research an attractive proposition and career path for top and aspiring talent.

Laura previously spent 5 years at Lightspeed Research (a Kantar business), most recently as the Australian General Manager. Prior to that, she spent 8 years at Research Now (now Dynata) and served for 4 years as APAC Vice President of Operations. With strong experience in sales, operations, digital transformation, and data, she has successfully restructured and led international teams through periods of double-digit growth.

Laura has been actively contributing to the broader research industry for some time, facilitating recruitment, contributing thought leadership, and serving as an active ADIA committee member for more than 5 years and has recently joined the Board of the Australian Polling Council.

Yvonne Wallis

An industry leader, in 1991, she founded her own research company, Wallis Consulting Group, where she continued to consult to large national organisations, specialising in advertising and social research. 

Yvonne was the first female President of AMRO (which became AMSRO and later ADIA) in 2003 & 2004 and from 2005-2006, she held the role of AMSRO Vice President and was Secretary of AMSRO until 2008.

During her time as President and years thereafter in office, Yvonne worked tirelessly to help establish several industry initiatives, including a self-regulated operating environment that set up organisations for success today. 

After 25 years as Managing Director and Chairman of Wallis Consulting Group, Yvonne retired to follow her passion for Wine and Food. She became the Global Chair of the International Wine & Food Society, the longest-established gastronomic Society in the world. She is now the President of the Asia Pacific Zone of IWFS and the Global Branch Ambassador.

Craig Young

Craig is currently the Managing Director (Interim) of Sandpiper Research & Insights, Asia’s largest independent PR and communications consultancy. Prior to that he was Australian Managing Director of global marketing and communications group Big-Village (formerly Engine and ORC International) steering the company through the sale to Ipsos in 2023.

Starting in the research industry in 1994 as a buyer for the Department of Social Security, he has since worked in research consulting roles at Nielsen, ORIMA and Roy Morgan Research.  He was an equity partner at NWC prior to its 2007 acquisition by ORC.  

Craig served on the ADIA Board between 2013- 2022, including as Vice-President (2013-2016) and as President (2017-2019), and more recently as an Advisor to the ADIA Board. Craig’s achievements as president include industry-wide access to the IPND, new strategic partnerships with AMI, Giftpay and ESOMAR, the development of new income streams, the introduction of a rebranding and repositioning strategy, and the ADIA Inquiry into Political Polling following the 2019 Federal Election. Craig also sits on the Board of the Redfern Legal Centre and more recently, Super Consumers Australia.