In this episode, Rahul talks to the Global Head of Customer Intelligence at Colt Technology Services, Noah Roychowdhury, about his roles in market research and customer insights.

After studying economics, sociology, and history, Noah’s keen interest in using social sciences in everyday contexts led him into the world of market research and insights.

How has Noah’s educational background helped further his career? Hear about Noah’s various roles, his experiences with working both agency and client-side, his important volunteering work, and get some of his valuable advice, all on today’s episode of Data Stories: Leaders at Work.

 
Highlights

• “I think sometimes there’s a risk in businesses where people get deeply institutionalised into a sector.”
• “The crucial challenge in what we do is how we can make things absolutely simple.”
• “The most powerful tool in my job is the pencil.”
• “You’re always going to grapple with uncertainty, so don’t come in with a pen.”
• “This business of being curious about people - no matter how you do it, you’re essentially tapping into gossip. If, as a young person, you find yourself being joyful listening to different people talk, and then making up your mind around what to do and what not to do based on those discussions, this would be a great industry to join.”

About - Noah Roychowdhury

Noah Roychowdhury is the Global Head of Customer Intelligence at Colt Technology Services, leading a team that is responsible for measuring and improving customer experiences. He has over 20 years of experience in various client and agency leadership roles.

In 2009, Noah volunteered as a Magistrate for the Ministry of Justice UK. Noah is a London Business School Alumnus.

Noah’s Influential People

Wendy Proctor

Matthew Sell

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Jofra Archer

Recommended Resources

Underground, by Haruki Murakami

Relevant Links

Website:              https://www.colt.net

LinkedIn:          https://uk.linkedin.com/in/noahroychowdhury

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In this episode, Rahul talks to the Associate Director of Central Insights and Analytics at King, Ritu Bhushan, about research and insights in the gaming sector.

Ritu’s journey started with a move from India to the US in her late teens. After completing her Bachelor’s in Business Management, Ritu’s career took turns through roles in tech startups, gaming companies, and a brief stint working for herself.

How did Ritu navigate moving to a new country? Hear about how she got into working for herself, the story behind her degree choices, her roles at Gamesys and King, and get some valuable advice, all on today’s episode of Data Stories: Leaders at Work.

 Highlights

• “If you were entrepreneurial, you wouldn’t be in business school taking a class about entrepreneurship. You’d be out there starting and building companies.”
• “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Question things you don’t understand. Question assumptions. Question senior leadership.”
• “You don’t know what the opportunity cost of something that you’re doing is until you do things differently.”
• “A lot of businesses that are making money, that are doing reasonably well, don’t see the value in rocking the boat.”
• “Find a mentor in the space. There’s so much that you can learn from someone who’s 5-10 years ahead of you.”
• “Stay on top of agencies, tools, publications, by signing up to some kind of industry forum.”
• “Join a well-balanced team. If you’re slightly further along, build a well-balanced team.”
• “Working with people that are very different from yourself is a great opportunity.”

About - Ritu Bhushan

Ritu is the Associate Director of Central Insights and Analytics at King, the company behind games including Candy Crush, Pet Rescue Saga, and Farm Heroes Saga.

She has over a decade of experience leading research and insights teams, as well as extensive hands-on experience, at tech companies.

In 2016, she founded and led the Consumer Insights and Research Department at Gamesys.

Ritu holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Muskingum University and an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University Graduate School of Business Administration, which she completed on fast track in less than 15 months with a 3.9/4.0 GPA.

Ritu’s Influential People

Dan Ariely

Recommended Reading

Transforming insights     

Predictably Irrational

Relevant Links

Website:              https://king.com

LinkedIn:             https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritubhushan

In this episode, Rahul talks to Social Intelligence Lead at GSK, Daniel Gardner, about market research and social listening.

Starting off with a background in accounting, Daniel took an accidental turn into the world of market research.

How did Daniel get into marketing research from accounting? Hear about social listening, Daniel’s move to the client-side, his future in different research industries, and hear his advice to new and growing professionals, all on today’s episode of Data Stories: Leaders at Work.

Topics Discussed

1.       [01:30] Daniel’s educational background.

2.       [06:18] Accounting to marketing research.

3.       [13:03] About social listening.

4.       [22:19] Moving from agency to client-side.

5.       [25:56] To stick to healthcare research, or not.

6.       [30:18] Daniel’s Influential people.

7.       [32:49] Recommended resources.

8.       [35:00] Daniel’s vision.

9.       [38:23] Daniel’s advice.

Highlights

•  “The people that are exceptionally gifted in analytics aren’t always the best storytellers.”
• “This space isn’t going anywhere. If anything, it’s going to continue taking off.”
• “Fundamentally, it [social listening] answers questions that otherwise take a really long time to answer through traditional research methods.”
• “There’s never a shortage of challenges to face, but opportunities to be had.”
• “There’s so much that you learn from people beyond your industry, and the way they approach different problems and challenges.”
• “It’s so easy to pigeonhole yourself into the world of social media, and only social media.”
• “I don’t believe in career paths being linear.”
• “Be intellectually curious. Continue to view yourself as a student. Take a step back, recognise that you don’t know everything and you never will, but be open and receptive to learning new things.”

About - Daniel Gardner

Daniel Gardner is the Lead Data Analyst, Social Intelligence for the US Region at GSK.

He previously held this role at Pfizer, and was part of the joint venture with GSK.

His career started with the W2O Group, where he held various roles in analytics, market research, social listening, and data science.

Daniel holds a BA in Economics from the University of Maryland College Park and an MBA from the American University Kogod School of Business.

Daniel’s Influential People

Daniel’s media team and past bosses.

Jamie Dimon

Kat Cole

Relevant Links

Website:              https://www.gsk.com

LinkedIn:             https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielgregorygardner

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Data Stories: Leaders at Work is brought to you by Audiense.

https://resources.audiense.com/podcast/data-stories/leaders-at-work