Patterson joins MRS board and honorary fellows named

Patterson is managing partner at MTC Consultancy, a role she has held since 2013.

Ruffels has been global head, consumer and business insights and analytics at GSK since 2019, and prior to that was vice-president of consumer insight and analytics at Samsung. She was elected to the MRS main board in 2018.

Main board member Sinead Jefferies takes up the role of chair designate, a position she will hold in addition to her existing board responsibilities.

Caroline Hayter, whose term expires this year, will step down from the board when the new term begins on 1^st April.

Jane Frost, chief executive, MRS, said: “I’m delighted that in an election that saw some vigorous social media campaigning, we are retaining the skills of such a senior client as Zoe, and introducing what I am sure will be a new perspective from Cecilia.

“MRS is growing the diversity of its board, which I hope reflects our vigorous campaigning on the matter. In gaining Sinead as our new chair designate, we have acquired not only a tremendously hard-working person but one who is committed to supporting new ways of working.” 

MRS is also awarding 25 honorary fellowships in 2021 to mark its 75^th anniversary as the UK’s professional body for research.

The first nine fellows, several of whom are speaking at next week’s Impact 2021 conference, are:

• Sir David Spiegelhalter
• Dr Camilla Pang
• Deborah Mattinson
• Melanie Courtright and Elissa Molloy
• John Gambles
• Stian Westlake
• Belinda Beeftink and David Wilding.

The rest of the honorary fellowships will be awarded in the coming months.

Jane Frost said: “We have chosen to award 25 honorary fellows to reflect how far we have come in 75 years and the truly world-leading status of the UK’s market and social research sector. These brilliant individuals have all championed the value of evidence in some way and the breadth of their disciplines demonstrates the far-reaching value and impact of our sector, both nationally and internationally.  

“It seems pertinent that this special anniversary is happening this year. When MRS was founded the country was recovering from the second world war; now we find ourselves on a different but challenging road back to economic and societal prosperity. Today, as in 1946, research and insight will continue to play a critical role in our country’s recovery.”

More information about the MRS Impact conference, held virtually 16-18th March, can be found here.