Ben

Ben joined us as a graduate five years ago – and the rest is history! As a Client Manager within our Brand domain, his job is all about looking for that ‘eureka’ moment to help tell a story for our customers. He took some time in between clients to tell us about why he enjoys being a part of the team. 

What made you decide to join Kantar?
For me, the biggest factors that fed into me choosing Kantar were its global reach and huge variety of expertise. During my time in the business, I’ve worked across countless categories, both commercial and in the public sector, and have been lucky to collaborate closely with other teams specialising in wider fields of research including consulting and retail customer panels. I didn’t think I’d be able to get such a broad vision of what research could be with another company and, nearly five years on, I still don’t.

What skills are needed for your to be an amazing Client Manager?
The biggest requirement for my role, in my opinion, is an inquisitive mindset. Getting up everyday and asking, ‘what does this data mean?’, ‘what’s the story here?’ and ‘how can we make this research study the best that it can be?’ – it’s that kind of mindset that’s going to help you push through even some of the trickiest client questions to find that all-important ‘eureka’ moment. I’d also say you’ve got to love collaborating and working with others. Not a day goes by where I’m not speaking to my teams for their thoughts, inputs and feedback, as that’s the only way that great research is going to happen.   

What would surprise people about your role?
What I think would surprise people most about my role is how hands-on it is. As a client manager, I’m not just an intermediary between our clients and the people conducting the research: I conduct the research. My day can go from designing questionnaires, to thinking about what a brand’s ‘personality’ is, to finding the compelling stories for our clients. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is it like working for a global company?
I love that on any given day I can work with people from completely different parts of the world. It’s amazing to hear such a variety of international perspectives and have these be so accessible. Collaborating with colleagues from across the globe really helps us to elevate the global work that we do, and I’ve got plenty of personal experiences in which contributions from team members from different countries has allowed us to genuinely elevate a piece of research. 

What are your hobbies and interests out of work?
I first tried Ballroom and Latin dance while at university, where I competed around Europe – I’m still making it to classes 7 years later! I’m a keen runner and love playing piano and spent much of lockdown learning how to play the drums without annoying my neighbors – thankfully, no complaints yet!

What would you do if you didn’t do this? 
If I didn’t work in research and had more time on my hands, then I would want to go into the arts. Much more of my time would be spent in the dance studio and performing, though don’t expect to see me on Strictly anytime soon! 

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