Ronson (pictured) is an investigative journalist, author, screenwriter, podcaster, documentary film maker and cultural commentator, known for books include The Psychopath Test and The Men Who Stare at Goats.

In his keynote address, Ronson will cover his investigations into fringe politics, social media furores, conspiracy theories and extremists, and share his experiences of extracting insights from people at the edges of the cultural spectrum and his thoughts on how to appeal to broad audiences with polarised views.

Kelly Beaver, chief executive, UK and Ireland, at Ipsos will also have a keynote address at the conference.

Beaver will discuss how, against a backdrop of flatlining public optimism, elevated geopolitical tensions and rapid shifts in technology and culture, consensus can be found and what this means for brands, governments and business leaders in the second half of the decade.

The conference will feature a keynote panel on the subject of communicating with consumers and the public when societies splinter and culture divides, chaired by global communications and marketing leader Dex Hunter-Torricke, former communications and public policy adviser to Elon Musk at SpaceX and Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook.

Other panellists include Ipsos’ Kelly Beaver, Eliot Higgins, founder at BellingCat, and Baroness Mattinson, former pollster to Gordon Brown, director of strategy to Keir Starmer and co-founder of Opinion Leader Research and BritainThinks.

The panel will examine the impact of division and cultural fragmentation on society and organisations, highlighting the implications for corporate messaging and brand strategies.

The MRS Annual Conference will take place on 10^th March 2026, in MRS’s 80^th anniversary year. More details can be found here: https://www.mrsannualconference.com/