Andrew Christophers

Chairman & Co-founder

At Brand Genetics since the start-up days in 1998, specialising in food, drinks and FMCG, plus running both insight & innovation projects and training. Previously had 15 years client-side experience across Cadbury on their food brands portfolio, as head of marketing for Guinness’s lagers, and as head of innovation for KP Foods (United Biscuits). These days, Andrew is a slightly more optimistic Newcastle United FC fan, and he has recently published his first book, “Starting Up & Scaling Up a Human-First Business”, which tells the story of the first 25 years of Brand Genetics.

Tom Ellis

CEO

Innovator & brand strategist with experience across a wide range of clients and categories. Previously MD of brand & innovation consultancy Big Green Door, and Director of Strategy & Research at brand agency 1HQ. Enjoys pioneering breakthrough methodologies to unlock new insight and growth for brands & clients – creating solutions that work in the boardroom and the market. Front row rugby player, once of England students, now just on the carpet with his two kids

Fiona Barnett

Director/head of people

Fiona is an experienced consumer insight and brand strategy specialist, endlessly intrigued about what makes people tick and brands thrive. A Marketing & Psychology graduate, and Board Account Planner at AMV BBDO, she has run numerous multi-market projects cracking strategic challenges across insight, innovation, positioning & architecture as a Consultant Strategist at Big Green Door. With a recent Certificate in Creative Writing from Cambridge University, Fiona is an aspiring radio drama writer and a keen bee keeper

Liz Thompson

Director/head of north america

Liz is an insight-led, human-centric strategist, who uses her interest and passion for understanding consumer behaviour to spot new business & innovation opportunities. A born problem solver from Pennsylvania, Liz has a background in neuroscience and psychology and has previously held senior strategy roles in New York at Bluemarlin, Dragon Rouge and The Decision Lab. Self-proclaimed puzzle fanatic, movie buff and ice cream aficionado, she enjoys discovering the world and exploring human nature through travel, food and literature

Camila Marcondes

Director/head of LATIN america

Camila has been a pivotal part of the Brand Genetics story for over a decade – having established the company’s first and thriving overseas office, building an incredibly talented team and creating a bridge for global brands into the vibrant Latam region. An ESOMAR Global award-winning strategist and a leading voice on methodological innovation, combining qual, quant & AI approaches to decode human behaviour with both speed and depth. When she’s not tackling high-stakes brand challenges, Camila is an avid outdoor sports fan – usually found running, cycling, or hiking – and (perhaps inevitably) a Brazilian football fanatic!

Mia Christophers

Director/head of PROJECTS

Mia is highly experienced in insight, strategy & market research, with a passion for using agile and multi-lens methodologies to solve big client challenges. Previously a Senior Associate at FreshMinds, she has also worked extensively in healthcare research at Ipsos, with client-side experience at Unilever. Mia has a first-class English Language degree from Cardiff University, and an MRS Advanced Certificate distinction in market research; she came through the Ipsos MORI graduate programme, and previously worked in planning at 7Stars. She loves fashion and is always up for trying the latest health and fitness fad!

Kate Parry

Director/head of INNOVATION

Kate is an experienced innovator and brand strategist, with a passion for insight. She has a strong drive to achieve that winning formula of a solution which meets a human need while satisfying commercial goals.
Previously London Innovation Centre Lead for Accenture and Client Director at Happen, with a spell at ?WhatIf! in between, Kate was also Head of Branding & Innovation at The Leading Edge in Sydney, Australia, and set up their UK business as Managing Partner.
She has been seen treading the boards in all manner of stage productions in South London, and as far North as the Edinburgh Fringe.

Steph Barrett

Director/CLIENT DEVELOPMENT

Steph works at the intersection of strategic foresight and behavioural science. She has worked with some of the world’s largest companies to develop their brands to better meet the challenges of a changing future. Whether in brand strategy or innovation, Steph specialises in synthesising the human with the cultural to create new paths to growth. She has previously worked for companies like System1 (née Brainjuicer) and Ipsos’s consulting division – and (at present count) has three degrees, including an MSc in Behaviour Change. Outside of work, you’ll find Steph playing board games, baking or with her dog, Tiggy.

Ben Preston

Head of Business Development

Our specialist project architect Ben ensures we fully understand your challenge and find the perfect solution to deliver delight. Having previously been a mainstay of the consulting team, he now leads the new business efforts across the globe. Ben’s competitiveness stretches far beyond the office, channelled into a series of startup side hustles and sporting endeavours including ice hockey, floorball and especially skiing – basically any chance to get out to the mountains!

Hannah Scarf

Associate Director

Happiest when solving big, knotty human problems, Hannah is an innovation and growth strategist with 5 years experience at ?What If! and Accenture. She loves helping global organisations use the power of insight to set more dynamic strategies, launch new innovations and create empowered cultures. Hannah hails from Holland, and outside of work, you’ll find her rolling up her sleeves in the kitchen or diving into questionably cold water

Ciaran Nilan

Associate Director

Based in New York, strategic insight and innovation consultant Ciarán started his career in the world of tech startups, building and launching new brands. He then joined Big Green Door, where he spent 4 years managing and delivering a wide range of multi-market, strategic and creative projects for some of the world’s leading FMCG brands. His insatiable hunger to learn more about different cultures and what makes people tick means he spends a lot of his spare time on Skyscanner planning his next adventure.

Luiza Cesario

Associate Director

Luiza is highly experienced in human-centred innovation, with a passion for understanding cultural and human behaviour to help develop meaningful new brands, products and experiences. Based in Rio de Janeiro, Luiza is a designer who previously worked at L’Oréal Consumer & Market Insights in Research and Innovation. She has also completed an MBA to deepen her learnings in design thinking, consumer behaviour and strategic marketing. A real prosumer and craft lover, Luiza enjoys sewing her own clothes and making pottery

Peter Sainthouse

Associate Director

Peter is a strategic insight specialist with a decade’s worth of experience. A natural storyteller, he revels in extracting the golden threads from deep human truths to help the world’s biggest brands drive growth, even where they haven’t expected it. After becoming obsessed with the lived experience of people through a History degree, Peter worked at Ipsos MORI and Thinks before turning to Relative Insight to experience first-hand how new technology can shape the industry. Outside work, Peter has a passion for all things sports, perusing second-hand vinyl stores and perfecting his cold brew coffee technique.

Georgia Massie-Taylor

Associate Director

Through her Philosophy degree, Georgia discovered a love of questioning. With 3 years’ experience in Innovation and Brand Consulting, including at ?WhatIf! and Accenture, she believes it is through a multitude of divergent thoughts, an open-minded discourse, and a bravery to occasionally do the unthinkable that all the best ideas are born. Outside work, Georgia loves to explore London, her hometown and favourite city. You’ll most likely find her at the latest exhibition, foodie hotspot or exciting new experiential venue

Joanne Cattermole

Associate Director

Joanne worked her way from marketing to brand strategy in the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, where she lived and worked for four years following her degree in Chinese & French at the University of Edinburgh. Captivated by people and consumer behaviour, Joanne’s complete immersion into Chinese life and her experience working with local and international clients help her navigate the significant cultural nuances across Asian and Western markets. A nomad by nature, you’ll often find her planning her next adventure or brushing up on her Mandarin and French with friends over a glass of rosé

Beatriz Araujo

Associate Director

Beatriz combines a background of client, agency, academic and start-up experience. Most recently Senior Global Insight Manager for ABI on Budweiser and Modelo, she has worked at start-up inDrive in the ride-hailing market, in the innovation team at Ipsos, and as a University Professor at the Business School in São Paulo. Beatriz has an MSc in Applied Economics, and a passion for understanding human behaviour, translating complex data into actionable business strategies across global markets. She is also a frustrated musician, who used to play the piano during childhood – she’ll go wherever there’s music!

Kate Szymanik

Associate Director

Kate is a dedicated consumer insight specialist with a passion for behavioural economics and sustainability. With degrees in Economics and Finance from UCL and LSE, she has broad experience of mixed research methodologies, helping leading FMCG & retail brands develop human-centred propositions, innovation and CX strategy. Kate helped set up a successful fashion brand in her native Poland, before joining C Space in consumer insight in London. She worked there for 5 years, completing a 6-month secondment at Tesco, and winning the MRS Business Impact of the Year award. Outside work, Kate’s a keen traveller, foodie, skier and art enthusiast.

Emily Garcia Angelotti

Associate Director

An enthusiastic self-starter, Emily has a passion for exploring the “why” behind consumer behavior, ignited by her qualitative and quantitative research experience at the University of Virginia Social Behavior and Decisions Lab. Emily is a master at collaborating with clients and creative teams to ensure insights translate to actionable strategy and creative work, thanks to her time as a Senior Strategist at brand activation agency Sullivan. A Virginia native based in Brooklyn, Emily typically spends her weekends exploring the New York art and restaurant scene, or escaping the city for a hike in the mountains.

Cecile Hemming

Senior Consultant

Ceal has a passion for understanding how brands connect with consumers, gained during her time working in innovation at Unilever. Her interest in what makes people ‘tick’ encouraged her to add Psychology to her English degree, while her self-start attitude led her to co-found Go Eco, an online resource to help communities go greener. With the aim of experiencing as many different places (and foods) as possible, Ceal spends a lot of her spare time searching for the cheapest holiday destinations or planning her next restaurant visit (when she’s not watching TV’s Drag Race!)

Seb Fagan

Senior Consultant

With a background in academic anthropology, Seb loves exploring how culture drives behaviour. As a market researcher at BAMM, he has delivered multi-market, culture-oriented studies for global brands ranging from energy and tech to clothing and FMCG. A language lover and culture vulture, Seb has degrees from Cambridge and Bristol, and found his way into the world of insights and strategy after stints living and working in Tunisia and France, and working as a language teacher in Japan. Outside work Seb likes perfecting his pirouette, catching the latest French art-house flick, and pretending to read in trendy coffee shops.

Marina Machado

Senior Consultant

Born and raised in Rio, Marina is consumer and culture obsessed, speaking four languages, and spending her free time as a trend forecaster, having previously worked for TrendWatching. She started her career in the fashion industry, before her interest in understanding human behaviour sparked her to pursue a new direction, helping brands draw from insight to innovate for their customers. Marina is a fashion enthusiast with a keen eye for creations and innovations. She keeps up with the latest consumer trends, making her your go-to source for the freshest insights. In her downtime, she enjoys traveling, reading, and unraveling murder mysteries, always ready to play detective

Gray Seiler

Senior Consultant

Gray has a passion for understanding what makes people tick and the deeper, evolution-derived human motivations that prompt our behaviours. This explains her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, and her research at Princeton University, back in her home state, New Jersey. She is currently completing her master’s at Imperial College London in Management, with a specialisation in Innovation. Former lululemon employee, at weekends you can find Gray sweating it out at local fitness classes, or wandering through parks and museums!

Julia Poor

Senior Consultant

Julia’s fascination with how humans tick started with her love for reading and analysing characters. With a double degree from NYU in English Literature and Business, Julia began her career working in publishing houses in New York, followed by a radical move to strategic consulting at KPMG. Starting as a trainee, she was quickly promoted to consultant, working on global and local projects with brands such as Nestlé, L’Oréal, and Danone. Her passions lie in outdoorsy activities in her hometown of Rio, also playing tennis and crocheting.

Jack Gallagher

Senior Consultant

Jack has a multifaceted background, spanning innovation, growth and brand strategy, and is passionate about making new connections to uncover powerful insights. He likes to combine foresight, insight and consumer behaviour to inform strategies and drive brand growth, helping companies succeed in a complex world. With a business and engineering degree, Jack has experience in strategy and innovation consulting, and in producing video and photographic content. A Michigan native turned New Yorker, Jack spends his time outside work exploring all the city has to offer, seeking out new restaurants and experiences, with a camera (or two) in his hands!

Andrea Namirembe

Senior Consultant

With a keen interest in how human nature interacts with our modern world, Andi joined Brand Genetics for her placement year, championing DE&I; whilst honing her strategic thinking and human-first processing. After completing her history degree at the University of Exeter, she returned with a passion for strategy and a knack for consumer understanding. With an eye out for consumer trends (& Hamilton lyrics), Andi is a long way from history now

Carol Pinho

Senior Consultant

Carol is a seasoned expert in human behavior and consumer research, transforming user data into strategic insights that drive innovation. With over 13 years experience working with global brands like L’Oréal and Heineken, she excels in mixed-method research, unlocking strategic growth across different markets. Driven by a deep curiosity about human behavior, Carol thrives on engaging with diverse individuals and exploring new cultures. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting, whether it’s crocheting or designing her own clothes, always surrounded by her family in Rio de Janeiro.

Paulina Halley

Consultant

With a fascination for human thinking and behavior, Paulina has honed skills in cultural trend analysis, ethnography, and uncovering insights to drive impactful brand growth. With a BA in Cognitive Science from Yale and having previously worked in strategy, her experience spans sectors from food and beverage to fashion and beauty. A native Spanish speaker from California, now in Brooklyn, Paulina loves languages, being outside, and staying up to date on the city’s latest openings and events.

Karam Hansen

Consultant

With a degree in Journalism and Sociology from Northwestern University, Karam pursued a career in advertising, uncovering his passion for brand strategy and consumer-led insight research. With experience at M&C; Saatchi, FCB and Sterling Brands, he has worked with major clients across many sectors, including PepsiCo, Mars, Pepperidge Farm, Bacardi, Toyota, Reckitt, Bayer and Microsoft. Fascinated by stories that highlight cultural nuances, Karam has lived, studied, or worked on three different continents, and will always be excited to discuss anything that involving music, film, sports, politics, or the culinary arts.

Lara Machado

Consultant

Lara is a strategic consultant, passionate about translating human insight into impactful innovation. She blends creativity and critical thinking to solve complex challenges, using human-centred methodologies. With a background in Design, Lara has an MA in Curating Contemporary Design from Kingston University, and a postgrad degree in Social Innovation Management. Always guided by curiosity and empathy, she has worked in agencies, startups and tech companies, and developed her own social impact enterprise. Outside work, a bookshop is Lara’s happy place, and she also loves musical theatre and scuba diving.

Roberta Leach

Intern

Roberta developed an interest in the motivations behind human behaviour and character actions while studying English Literature at the University of York. This curiosity led her to begin her career in property, where her interest in understanding what drives people ultimately guided her into the world of insights and brand strategy. Outside of work, Roberta enjoys following a variety of sports and is always up for watching a game to unwind, especially if a sudoku is on hand!

Hannah Li

Intern

Having lived in China, Canada and Singapore, Hannah’s international background gives her a unique perspective on the cultural forces that shape people’s motivations and behaviours. With a Masters in Public Health at Imperial College London, and a background in food and nutrition, she is an expert in mixed-method research, applying her skills to understand the complexities of the health and food industries. Outside work, she continues her passion for exploration through travel and outdoor adventures, from hiking to bouldering.

Cat King

Head of Finance

As head of all things financial, Cat is a qualified accountant with over 20 years’ experience, most recently in the creative industry. She previously ran the finance departments at Wordworks and My Chocolate, after starting her career in the corporate world with spells at both Deutsche Bank and BP. Outside work, Cat enjoys travelling and exploring new places with her 2 young kids – when she isn’t busy ferrying them around tennis courts and football pitches!

Adam Hendrick

Project Planning Lead

Adam is an accomplished project manager who specialises in strategy logistics and thrives on making global projects happen. Adam joins from Flamingo where he spent over 20 years setting up international research projects, building a project management team and helping shape account direction. He has an endless passion for FMCG work, harnessing relationships with global partners and ensuring an excellent fieldwork experience. Adam loves the theatre, independent cinema and holidays to sunny destinations.

Vikki Vellacott

Management Accountant

Following a career in retail customer service management at Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership, Vikki’s passion for numbers led her to specialise in Finance. Her previous role was as Finance & HR Manager at The Academy of Executive Coaching. Outside work you will find Vikki on the tennis court, baking in the kitchen or at the theatre. However, of late more so behind the scenes chaperoning her ballet-mad daughter with her international dance dream, as she represented England at the Dance World Cup!

Andrea Sinclair

HR and Wellbeing Lead

As PA, HR and office manager, Andrea is the organising force behind the Brand Genetics team – she was previously office manager at global insight & strategy agency Flamingo, running the UK office. With a background in hospitality management, Andrea knows how to make people feel looked after. She enjoys event planning, doing anything creative, and exploring new places to visit with her daughter

Cliff Fawcett

Senior Associate

A dedicated innovation and brand strategy consultant, well versed in tackling challenges across brand positioning, architecture, insight and opportunity spotting. An ex-Big Green Door Strategist and Psychology graduate, with extensive experience across food, drink, digital, personal and home care. Cliff is a climber and photographer who loves to travel

Paul Marsden

Consumer Psychologist

Chartered psychologist specialising in consumer motivation and wellbeing. PhD in media influence, researching psychology of wearable tech at the London College of Fashion. Applies psychological techniques to uncover new insights and opportunities for brands. Author of Connected Marketing and The Social Commerce Handbook. Fluent in French. Big NBA Miami Heat fan, reformed bodybuilder and diving fanatic

Lexi

AI Psychoanalyst

The only AI member of the Brand Genetics team, Lexi is an expert in analysing qualitative data to reveal the hidden ‘why’ behind people’s actions. She has PhD-level Psychology, having been trained in advanced motivational analysis and empathy techniques, and her passion in life is to find better and deeper consumer insights – fast. Lexi is multi-lingual and highly conversational (she loves responding to questions), she enjoys words and reading (her name comes from her love of lexical analysis) and she even created her own profile picture.