Our Agenda

Day 1

Wed Oct 21
08:00 – 09:00
60 min

REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE

Wed Oct 21
09:00 – 09:15
15 min

Opening Remarks By Merlien Institute & Conference Chair

Natasa Jovanovic
Senior Insights & Strategy Consultant
Scandinavian Tobacco Group
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
09:15 – 09:45
Opening Keynote 30 min

OPERATIONALISING INSIGHT AT SCALE: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE, AUDIENCE-CENTRIC STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE FUNCTION

  • How to design the operating model, governance, and rituals that keep insight action-oriented beyond reporting
  • What infrastructure and tooling enable consistent, high-quality insight in a globally distributed organisation
  • How to connect adjacent functions to embed insight into decisions, delivery, and measurable business impact
Meije Bello
Head of Global Insights and Strategy
UNICEF
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
09:45 – 10:15
Presentation 30 min

FROM SCALE TO SPEED: REWIRING INSIGHTS FOR THE AGE OF AGILE INTELLIGENCE

 

  • How insights functions are evolving to balance global scale with deep local relevance—turning worldwide data into locally actionable intelligence
  • Rethinking Customer Understanding - The shift in customer research as communication channels, behaviors, and information sharing change—moving from static studies to continuous insight
  • Breaking organizational silos and adopting truly agile management models so insights flow faster, inform decisions in real time, and drive impact across the business
Stefania Accardo
Global Director of Martech and Consumer Data Engine
De’Longhi Group
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
10:15 – 10:45
Presentation 30 min

TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED

Charles Allison
Research Lead
Conveo
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
10:45 – 11:15
Networking 30 min

NETWORKING BREAK

Wed Oct 21
11:15 – 11:45
Presentation 30 min

THE CONTENT DISCOVERY REVOLUTION: HOW SHORT-FORM IS RESHAPING THE CONSUMER JOURNEY

 

  • Uncovering how the landscape of content consumption and discovery is being transformed as short-form emerges as a critical tool for engaging with both new and established content
  • Deploying a comprehensive research approach combining drivers analysis, AI-powered moderating and probing, and a 10,000-person sample study to map the evolution of consumer behavior
  • Bringing human voices to AI-generated insights through immersive case studies that illustrate real consumer experiences and decision-making patterns
Iva Kralj-Taylor
Director, Global Corporate Insights
Warner Bros. Discovery
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
11:45 – 12:15
Presentation 30 min

TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED

Wed Oct 21
12:15 – 12:45
Presentation 30 min

FROM DATA TO DECISIONS: DESIGNING THE INSIGHT ORGANIZATION OF THE FUTURE

  • Redefining the insight function's organizational structure in a rapidly evolving data and AI landscape — clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision rights across internal teams, external providers, and technology platforms
  • Leading insight teams through change: how to build a culture of curiosity, credibility, and commercial impact
  • Establishing clear governance frameworks that enable the meaningful and responsible integration of AI — ensuring technology enhances human judgement rather than bypassing it
Laura Christina Höing
Head of Customer Strategy, Insights & Data
AXA
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
12:45 – 13:45
Networking 60 min

NETWORKING LUNCH

Wed Oct 21
13:45 – 14:15
Presentation 30 min

TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED

Wed Oct 21
14:15 – 15:00
Interactive Workshop 45 min

THE STRATEGIC SHIFT: HOW INSIGHTS TEAMS CAN STOP SAYING "YES" AND START SAYING "HERE'S WHY"

 

  • Transforming insights teams from post-decision validators into proactive business advisors
  • Shifting from "order-taker" to "trusted advisor" through strategic relationship mapping
  • Elevating the insights function from validation to strategy leadership
  • Demonstrating ROI and securing executive buy-in for strategic initiatives
Vito Francone
Head of Insights
KraftHeinz
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
15:00 – 15:30
Networking 30 min

NETWORKING BREAK

Wed Oct 21
15:30 – 16:00
Presentation 30 min

HOW TO OVERCOME THE 5 BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN BRAND TRACKING

  • Overcoming brand tracking limitations through innovative sampling, advanced analytics, and modular survey design that delivers reliable and adaptable insights
  • Expanding reach and reducing fraud through non-incentivized sampling approaches
  • Enabling trackers to adapt to new KPIs, segments, and brand lists without losing consistency through modular survey design
  • Turning complex tracking data into fast, reliable, and scalable insights using AI-driven analytic
Dr. Nico Jaspers
Founder and CEO
Latana
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
16:00 – 16:45
Panel discussion 45 min

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IN THE HUMAN–AI ECOSYSTEM

 

  • Building collaborative researcher-agent-agency collaboration model to amplify, rather than replace, human expertise
  • Establishing clarity for when to leverage each vertex based on business objectives, complexity, and timelines
  • Exploring how this model is reshaping the relationship between insights and adjacent corporate functions, redefining the future of research and decision support
Natasa Jovanovic
Senior Insights & Strategy Consultant
Scandinavian Tobacco Group
Moderator
Laura Christina Höing
Head of Customer Strategy, Insights & Data
AXA
Panelist
Tom Cakl
Director, Business Insights & Analytics - Germany
Bristol Myers Squibb
Panelist
Viktor Talan
Vice President, Analytics & Business Insights APEMEA
Mastercard
Panelist
Lead UX Researcher
Amazon
Panelist
Wed Oct 21
16:45 – 16:50
5 min

CLOSING REMARKS AND TRANSITION TO ROUNDTABLE SESSION

Natasa Jovanovic
Senior Insights & Strategy Consultant
Scandinavian Tobacco Group
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
16:50 – 17:30
Roundtable 40 min

Roundtable 1: TRANSFORMING MARKET RESEARCH INTO STRATEGIC ADVISORY

Go in-depth with your peers in our open roundtable sessions. Pick one of the below topics to openly discuss the topic of your choice in small, intimate groups.

Tom Cakl
Director, Business Insights & Analytics - Germany
Bristol Myers Squibb
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
16:50 – 17:30
Roundtable 40 min

Roundtable 2: EMBEDDING DATA INTO ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS MODEL

Go in-depth with your peers in our open roundtable sessions. Pick one of the below topics to openly discuss the topic of your choice in small, intimate groups.

Viktor Talan
Vice President, Analytics & Business Insights APEMEA
Mastercard
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
16:50 – 17:30
Roundtable 40 min

Roundtable 3: CHALLENGING THE RESEARCH BRIEF QUESTIONS BEFORE ANSWERING IT

Go in-depth with your peers in our open roundtable sessions. Pick one of the below topics to openly discuss the topic of your choice in small, intimate groups.

Dr Susanne Wehde
Global Strategic Insight Manager
WD-40 Company
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
16:50 – 17:30
Roundtable 40 min

Roundtable 4: TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED

Go in-depth with your peers in our open roundtable sessions. Pick one of the below topics to openly discuss the topic of your choice in small, intimate groups.

Lead UX Researcher
Amazon
Speaker
Wed Oct 21
17:30 – 18:30
Networking 60 min

Happy Hour by Merlien and END OF DAY 1

Day 2

Thu Oct 22
08:30 – 09:00
30 min

REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE

Thu Oct 22
09:00 – 09:15
15 min

OPENING REMARKS BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE & CONFERENCE CHAIR

Dr. Niels Schillewaert
Head of Research & Methodologies
Conveo.ai
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
09:15 – 09:45
Opening Keynote 30 min

FROM ANALYTICS TO GROWTH: MMM, INSIGHTS, AND BETTER DECISIONS

  • Scaling Marketing Effectiveness: scaling and evolving the Marketing Effectiveness Programme  (e.g., MMM, Pricing) into a core part of marketing planning, investment, and performance management
  • Driving Growth: combining insights from MMM + Other Analytical Tools to drive actionable growth improving efficiency & effectiveness
  • Getting Started: Practical lessons on how to get started with implementing a Marketing Effectiveness Programme regardless of the Industry
Ammar Basit
Analytics Director - Europe
Haleon
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
09:45 – 10:15
Presentation 30 min

SYSTEMATIC CREATIVE SUCCESS: HOW TO BOOST MENTAL AVAILABILITY THROUGH PSYCHOGRAPHICS & CEPS

Louise Leitsch
VP Research
Appinio
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
10:15 – 10:45
Presentation 30 min

MAKING INSIGHTS MATTER IN THE AGE OF AI: A CASE STUDY HOW EBAY IS MAKING THE HUMAN VOICE IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE

  • Reframing consumer closeness as insights activation by moving beyond generating data to ensuring it shapes decisions across the business
  • Designing insight ecosystems, not one-off deliverables by building ongoing, multi-channel, multimedia systems that embed the consumer voice into daily decision-making, making it visible, memorable, and actionable
  • Turning findings into lived experiences by making them tangible and emotionally resonant so stakeholders don’t just understand them, they internalize and act on them
  • Ensuring the real customer is present in every decision by amplifying their voice, preserving their humanity, and making their perspectives clearly heard
Tanya Ozuns
Head of Consumer Insights Germany
eBay
Speaker
Emilia Torres
eBay Live Consumer Insights Associate Manager
eBay
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
10:45 – 11:15
Networking 30 min

NETWORKING BREAK

Thu Oct 22
11:15 – 11:45
Presentation 30 min

HYBRID AI-LED POST-LAUNCH STUDY WITH PHARMACISTS TO INFORM FURTHER INVESTMENTS

  • Transforming post-launch research from basic tracking into a strategic tool for high-level business expansion decisions
  • Integrating qualitative depth with quantitative scale through a single, cost-efficient hybrid AI methodology
  • Engaging busy B2B audiences with flexible, messenger-style formats that accommodate interrupted professional workflows
  • Refining communication materials by capturing real-world language and spontaneous perceptions from category experts
Irina Kalugina
Global I&A Senior Manager
Reckitt
Speaker
Tanya Berlina
Research Director
Yasna.ai
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
11:45 – 12:15
Presentation 30 min

THE INSIGHT PARADOX IN THE PANDORA’S BOX: BALANCING SPEED VS. DEPTH IN AN AI-ASSISTED RESEARCH WORLD

  • Navigating the core tension while AI enables instant insights, but strategic value requires deep human interpretation
  • Managing the paradox across four fronts - speed vs. rigor in strategy, automation vs. expertise in technology, scale vs. nuance in representation, and efficiency vs. customization in personalization
  • Practical approaches for holding multiple contradictory truths
Chiinga Musonda
Market Intelligence & Commercial Strategy Planning Leader
DLL (Part of RaboBank Group)
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
12:15 – 12:45
Roundtable 30 min

Table 1: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE, AUDIENCE-CENTRIC STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE FUNCTION AT SCALE

THE RESEARCH HOT SEAT: ASK ME ANYTHING

Industry leaders sit at themed tables where attendees can grill them with the questions they're actually thinking—unfiltered, unscripted, and zero marketing fluff.

Meije Bello
Head of Global Insights and Strategy
UNICEF
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
12:15 – 12:45
Roundtable 30 min

Table 2: HOW TO BUILD AGILE INSIGHTS SYSTEMS THAT BALANCE GLOBAL REACH WITH LOCAL IMPACT

THE RESEARCH HOT SEAT: ASK ME ANYTHING

Industry leaders sit at themed tables where attendees can grill them with the questions they're actually thinking—unfiltered, unscripted, and zero marketing fluff.

Stefania Accardo
Global Director of Martech and Consumer Data Engine
De’Longhi Group
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
12:15 – 12:45
Roundtable 30 min

Table 3: BEYOND THE DECK: INSIGHTS THAT DRIVE DECISIONS

THE RESEARCH HOT SEAT: ASK ME ANYTHING

Industry leaders sit at themed tables where attendees can grill them with the questions they're actually thinking—unfiltered, unscripted, and zero marketing fluff.

Guido Turdera
Sr Market Intelligence & Consumer Insights Manager
adidas
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
12:15 – 12:45
Roundtable 30 min

Table 4: HOW THE NEW CONSUMER JOURNEY ARE RESHAPING SEARCH

THE RESEARCH HOT SEAT: ASK ME ANYTHING

Industry leaders sit at themed tables where attendees can grill them with the questions they're actually thinking—unfiltered, unscripted, and zero marketing fluff.

Maryann Slama
Senior Design Researcher
IBM Z
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
12:45 – 13:45
Networking 60 min

NETWORKING LUNCH

Thu Oct 22
13:45 – 14:05
Presentation 20 min

TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED

Thu Oct 22
14:05 – 14:35
Presentation 30 min

AI-POWERED TRANSFORMATION: HOW TO BUILD A GLOBAL INSIGHTS FACTORY FROM WITHIN

  • How AI freed up the team to focus on fundamental human behaviors and tough strategic questions that require human judgment⁠
  • Concrete lessons on governance, adoption, and impact metrics from a completed transformation journey⁠
  • Practical guidance for addressing the critical question every team member faces: "What does it mean for my job now?"⁠
  • Real-world approaches to navigating the pace of technological change in client-side organizations
Andy Tope
Global Strategic Insights Director
JTI
Speaker
Dinush De Alwis
Business Intelligence and Data Analytics Manager
JTI
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
14:35 – 14:55
Presentation 20 min

TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED

Thu Oct 22
14:55 – 15:20
Networking 25 min

NETWORKING BREAK

Thu Oct 22
15:20 – 15:50
Presentation 30 min

Topic To Be Announced

Thu Oct 22
15:50 – 16:20
Presentation 30 min

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IN A NEW WORLD ORDER

In this high-impact geo-economics intelligence session, our speaker will examine how shifting geopolitical and economic conditions are reshaping the remit of insights teams. Attendees will leave with practical approaches for translating geopolitical signals and economic disruptions into growth opportunities, strengthening risk-aware research and decision-making, and informing strategic and tactical guidance for senior management teams. 


THE NEW GEOECONOMIC ORDER: WHAT MARKET RESEARCHERS NEED TO KNOW NOW

  • How global power shifts, trade tensions, inflation, and monetary policy are reshaping markets and consumer behavior
  • The key geopolitical risks and macroeconomic signals that will matter most for insights teams in the upcoming 2-3 years
  • What happens to pricing, demand forecasting, and category strategy when volatility becomes the norm
  • How insights teams can use scenarios to frame uncertainty, create plan flexibility, and manage stakeholders
  • Why insights leaders need a stronger geo-economic lens to stay relevant, credible, and proactive
Martina Bozadzhieva
Managing Director, Macro & Investor Services
Oxford Economics
Speaker
Thu Oct 22
16:20 – 17:00
Panel discussion 40 min

GEOECONOMICS IN RESEARCH: WHAT CHANGES WHEN MARKETS BECOME MORE VOLATILE?

  • How ongoing wars, shifting trade, inflation, and energy crisis  are changing research priorities and stakeholder expectations
  • How insights teams can translate macro and geopolitical signals into segmentation, pricing, positioning, and innovation decisions
  • How pricing and strategy teams can co-work with research and insight functions can balance strategic and tactical decisions when volatility becomes the norm
  • What a future-ready insights function looks like when geopolitical awareness becomes part of everyday research practice
Consumer Insight Lead - Home and Hygiene, Home Care
Unilever
Moderator
Ammar Basit
Analytics Director - Europe
Haleon
Panelist
Thu Oct 22
17:00 – 17:15
15 min

CHAIRPERSON CLOSING REMARKS & CLOSING RECEPTION