• Gordon Heald - Chairman

Gordon became Chairman of the company this year following 12 years as Managing Director of ORB, which he established in 1994. Previously he was Managing Director of Gallup Poll from 1980-1994 and a director of the company for 25 years. He also became Chairman and founder of Russian Research in 1994. He has extensive political polling experience having worked worldwide providing research to politicians such as Margaret Thatcher, President Reagan, President Yeltsin and seven other heads of state outside the US and UK. He holds degrees in economics from Cambridge University, physics from London University and a higher degree in econometrics from the London School of Economics. Gordon is a full member of the Market Research Society.

Email: gheald@opinion.co.uk

• Johnny Heald - Managing Director

Johnny has been a Director of ORB since 1998 and became Managing Director in January 2006. He has worked in research since leaving University in 1992 and specialises in international research, consumer, business-to-business and socio/political research. Since joining ORB he has handled both domestic and international clients including KPMG, the Strategic Rail Authority, Disability Rights Commission, Local Government and Sport England. In the 2005 General Election he was the Conservative Party’s private pollster. Since 2005 he has been leading ORB's polling in the Middle East and North Africa and has spoken at a number of international conferences about his findings, particularly from polling in Iraq. Johnny previously worked for Research International where he conducted their first ever studies in Albania and Syria and managed a 24 country consumer electronics survey. He is married to Rachel and has two children.

Email: jheald@opinion.co.uk

• Allan Hyde - Director

Allan rejoined ORB as a Director in January 2005 having spent seven years at MORI where he led their business to business (B2B) and professional services division. Allan has nearly 20 years’ market research experience with a focus on business related research: business and consumer confidence, corporate finance, corporate image and communications and professional services. His extensive international experience includes running the 18 country Central & Eastern Eurobarometer and the primary research behind PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) global ValueReporting™ initiative. Allan has spoken at a number of conferences and seminars and his article on attitudes and responses to the collapse of Enron was recently published in the International Journal of Market Research (IJMR). He has a MSc in Social Research Methods from the University of Surrey and a BA (Hons) in Applied Social Science from Kingston Polytechnic. Allan is an associate member of the Market Research Society.

Email: ahyde@opinion.co.uk

• Richard Hooper - Associate Director

Richard joined ORB in April 2005. He began his career with MVA Consultancy in 1999, where he developed a wide range of both quantitative and qualitative research skills and gained specialist knowledge of public sector research. After completing the company Graduate Scheme he moved to BMG Research where he managed a wide range of social and economic research projects. Since joining ORB Richard has continued to work for a range of public sector organisations as well as a diverse range of private sector companies. He has extensive experience of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies including focus groups, depth interviews, mystery shopping, online panels and telephone and face-to-face interviews. In the past few years Richard has developed expertise in the areas of communications and international research with particular focus on the Middle East. Richard has a BA (Hons) in Geography from University of Kent and a MSc in Social Research Methods from Middlesex University.

Email: rhooper@opinion.co.uk

• Sarah Oliver - Associate Director

Sarah joined ORB in 2007. She previously worked at BMRB Social Research and TNS, where she gained considerable experience of large scale, complex quantitative projects using a wide range of methodologies, with a focus on CATI, postal and web methods. Sarah specialises in social research, customer and employee satisfaction and campaign evaluation, and previous clients include HM Revenue and Customs, Central Office of Information, Department of Health, Health & Safety Executive, NSPCC, Royal Mail Group and Canon Europe. Prior to this, Sarah has ten years' experience in the health and social housing sectors. She has a BA (Hons) in Health Studies from the University of Central Lancashire.

Email: soliver@opinion.co.uk

• Cara Carter - Research Director, Washington DC

Cara recently joined ORB in October 2008. Prior to joining ORB, she spent three years conducting public opinion research for the U.S. Department of State. In addition to managing quantitative and qualitative research in 16 African countries, she initiated the use of cognitive testing, which is now routinely employed in State Department research. Before her government service, Cara spent over two years living and working in West Africa, where she conducted development programs as well as designed and implemented program evaluation/effectiveness studies. She holds a certificate in Survey Design and Data Analysis from George Washington University in Washington DC, as well as a MA in Development Economics from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, Massachusetts, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi.

Email: ccarter@opinion.co.uk

• Madeleine Fisher - Senior Research Executive

Madeleine began her career as a graduate trainee at Synovate in 2004. Full immersion in a wide range of (mainly FMCG) projects taught her the fundamentals of research before joining BPRI, where she continued to hone her skills and gain increased project ownership in a fast-paced B2B research environment. Madeleine completed the MRS Advanced Certificate and maintained a balance of qualitative and quantitative, domestic and international exposure on projects; ranging from assessment of corporate re-branding for a top food provider, to defining the ideal product package for laboratory professionals. She then joined TNS Sydney in their Finance & Business Team for 6 months whilst combining work and travel in 2007-2008. Madeleine joined ORB in 2009, concentrating on a variety of projects including ones for the technology sector through to message-testing stakeholder research for special interest groups. Madeleine holds a degree in French and German from University of Wales Swansea.

Email: mfisher@opinion.co.uk

• Matt Bricken - Senior Research Executive

Matt comes to ORB with several years experience in political and opinion research in the US and UK. Previously he served as the Research Manager at Dods Parliamentary Communications in London where he conducted quantitative and qualitative opinion research on MPs, Peers, and MEPs for a range of corporate and charity clients. He has also executed research projects and perception audits for British pollsters YouGov and ComRes. Prior to that he provided US political intelligence to the British Foreign Office as a Research Analyst at the British Embassy in Washington DC. He has also worked on a host of UK and US election campaigns including Dick Gephardt's presidential run in 2004. Matt earned a Masters Degree in Political Management from The George Washington University and holds a BA in Political Science from Transylvania University.

Email: mbricken@opinion.co.uk

• Elizabeth Bailey - Research Executive

Elizabeth joined ORB in 2007 and has worked on a wide range of qualitative and quantitative projects for private and public sector clients. This experience includes financial, B2B, social, political, advertising and communications and consumer research. Whilst at ORB, Elizabeth has specialised in international research and frequently conducts field agency briefings and monitors focus groups and cognitive testing exercises across the Middle East. Elizabeth has a BSc in Psychology from the University of York, and is currently completing the Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice. Prior to joining ORB Elizabeth taught English in Vietnam.

Email: lbailey@opinion.co.uk

• Michael Rogers - CATI Manager

Michael joined ORB as CATI Manager in 2007 after taking a break from Telephone Centre Management at FDS International to travel in South America where he taught English. Michael joined ORB in August 2007, having 15 years Market Research experience behind him. He started his career with Research Resources as an interviewer in 1993 then moved onwards to supervision. Three years later he became Telephone Centre Manager at City Research Associates where he gained invaluable experience in Financial Research, both Business to Business and Consumer, UK and International on behalf of leading high street banks including Barclays, HSBC, R.B.S, as well as the “Top 5” investment banks including Kleinwort Benson and Merryl Lynch.

Email: mrogers@opinion.co.uk

• Finola O'Brien - Research Assistant

Since joining ORB in 2008, Finola has been involved in a number of qualitative and quantitative projects across a range of sectors; these include Political, Social, and Consumer research for both public and private sector companies. She has gained experience in the full research process including set-up and management of fieldwork and reporting back to a variety of clients. Prior to joining ORB she travelled across South East Asia for five months and spent a further year working in Australia. Finola has a degree in European film and World cinema from Exeter University.

Email: fobrien@opinion.co.uk

• Raija Teitto Schofield - Executive Assistant

Raija joined ORB in December 2006. She has previously worked as office manager and in other clerical roles both in London and her native Finland. Raija graduated from the Helsinki Business University, Finland in 2004 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with focus on communication, marketing and management assistance.

Email: rschofield@opinion.co.uk

• Kelly Stevens - Consultant

Kelly Stevens is a long term consultant for ORB. She has 14 years of market research and ad agency experience, 11 years of which were gained in the USA. Kelly began her career at Research International before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she worked for Fallon, the ad agency, as an Account Planner. For the last few years she has been a freelance qualitative researcher and brand consultant in the USA as well as partnering with ORB on a range of research projects in the UK. Having moved back to England for good, she continues to wear many hats: she is also a cultural observer for an American trend company, analysing the UK’s perspective on anything from design to social conscience.

Email: kstevens@opinion.co.uk