What makes you special is what makes us special

What makes you special is what makes us special

Every member of our team has a unique combination of Smart, Heart & Self-Start

The Brand Genetics Behaviours manifest our Core Values

SMART

See the Bigger Picture – We think beyond the immediate. We look to the bigger context, perspective and opportunity

Do What Scares You – We embrace a growth mindset. We know that improving means stepping out of our comfort zone

HEART

In it Together – We trust, support and are straight with each other.  We know our ‘we’ is stronger (and more fun)  than our ‘me’

Bring Your Own Voice – We say no to cookie cutter. We bring our passion and celebrate diverse voices

SELF-START

Take Pride – We go above and beyond to deliver delight. We strive for excellence (not perfection)

Step-Up – We believe in a start-up mentality. We step up, take charge and go for it

Make it Happen – We make it possible. We sort problems with agile and creative solutions

Committed to DE&I

At Brand Genetics, our mantra is that while the world continues to change, the one constant is human nature. Core to our work is understanding that many of us are united by our motivations, goals, and behaviours – but we also recognise that there are important things that set us apart from each other. We’re committed to:

Emphasising empathy – Celebrating our own unique perspectives and empathising with others through our work helps us to deliver better, smarter insights so we can make a positive and equitable impact on people’s lives.

Building a diverse workforce  – We believe that diversity fosters greater creativity and reduces groupthink. So, we’re committed to building a team with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

Meet Team BG

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

Cliff Fawcett

Director / Head of Projects
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

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
Based out of Brazil and heading up our LatAm business, Camila is an experienced creative strategist who has been running and leading insight & innovation projects for more than half a decade at Brand Genetics – both locally and globally. Born in Rio, previously an award-winning Innovator at creative agency Biruta, with an MA from London College of Communications, and an MSc in Future-Focused Innovation at Goldsmiths in London. Photographer, surfer, climber and (perhaps inevitably) a Brazilian football fanatic!

Marc Edwards

Director / Head of Business Performance
An insight & innovation specialist with a track record of driving growth in brands, through strategic thinking and creative execution. Marc joined Brand Genetics in 2016 after nearly 15 years of client-side experience. He started at P&G before moving to roles with the WHO and Sara Lee before eventually heading up the Global Home Care CMI team at Reckitt (formerly RB). At Brand Genetics, Marc has worked across the FMCG space on everything from beers and beauty to wipes and whisky. He also heads up the Business Performance team responsible for marketing, new business development and innovation. Marc is a published novelist, award-winning speaker and unashamed Marvel nerd.

Mia Christophers

Director
A product of the Ipsos MORI graduate programme, Mia has experience across media, communications and research. Previously a Senior Associate at FreshMinds, she also worked on healthcare for 2 years at Ipsos, including a 6-month secondment at Unilever. Mia has worked in planning at 7Stars Media, has a first class English Language degree from Cardiff University, and an MRS Advanced Certificate distinction in market research. She loves travel, fashion, health and nutrition

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

Nathania Messer

Associate Director
With a passion for both innovation and consumer understanding, Nathania has travelled extensively, giving her a real thirst to understand global cultural insight and behaviour. Having studied English Literature at the University of Birmingham, she worked as a consultant at Mash Strategy Studio, across a range of multi-market insight, positioning and innovation projects. Nathania helped create an ethical and more sustainable boutique hotel start-up in Bali, Indonesia

Ciaran Nilan

Associate Director
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.

Simon Hall

Associate Director
Simon has a real passion for helping businesses think creatively about how they innovate. A graduate from Newcastle University, he spent 15 months working and travelling throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Upon returning to the UK, Simon moved into a role at businessthreezero, delivering complex strategy and change programs for global clients. In his spare time, he enjoys rugby and ticking-off destinations on his ever-increasing bucket-list

Steph Barrett

Associate Director
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.

Luana Kaderabek

Associate Director
Luana is an anthropologist with great experience in cultural analysis, ethnography, trend forecasting and innovation, both in Brazil and worldwide. With a background in advertising and having lived in various countries, including Argentina, Brazil and the UK, Luana brings a unique perspective to her work. She spent almost 14 years in London, where she studied Digital Anthropology at UCL and worked with many market research agencies, gaining valuable experience in the field. In addition to her work, she has a deep passion for art, psychoanalysis, meditation, sports, photography, and her furry friend, Sol.

Makena Drutman

Associate Director
Makena is a strategic powerhouse who immerses herself deeply into brand challenges to deliver relevant, innovative, and realistic solutions. With experience working at New York ad agencies, strategy and design consultancies, plus research shops – including SYLVAIN, Now What, The&Partnership and 360i – she has tackled challenges of all shapes and sizes, from brand positioning and comms planning to new product innovation and management consulting. When she’s not psycho-analyzing the latest cultural trends, you can find Makena painting, watching true crime documentaries, or spending too much money in a specialty candy store.

Ben Preston

Head of Regional Business Development
A real entrepreneur, Ben has already founded a chocolate milk start-up (Old Farm No 1) and a ski event and lifestyle business (Shred Ski). With a first-class BSc in Business Administration from the University of Bath, he previously worked in business development at HelloFresh, breaking records for marketing achievements. Ben is a keen sportsman enjoying ice hockey, floorball and especially skiing, and taking any chance to get out to the mountains

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.

Luiza Cesario

Senior Consultant
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

Oli Kriskinans

Senior Consultant
Oli is a born problem solver and strategic thinker who started at strategic innovation agency Hunch, before working in research and business analysis for retail tech-startup, Bizie. Entrepreneurial by nature, Oli co-founded youth media platform HERD, which he continues to manage and develop as a side-hustle. A passion for sport, travel and food inspires him to understand cultural human behaviour, while his weekly release, watching the mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers, helps bring him back down to earth.

Emily Angelotti

Senior Consultant
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.

Georgia Massie-Taylor

Senior Consultant
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

Senior Consultant
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

Kate Szymanik

Senior Consultant
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.

Cecile Hemming

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!)

Robert Jordan

Consultant
Rob is a strategic thinker with a curiosity for understanding what consumers want from brands, and a passion for how trends, ideas and people change and shape our world. This led him to study Economics & Politics at the University of Sheffield, after which he has worked in commercial strategy and logistics, with a focus on industry innovation and global opportunities. Outside work, Rob is a keen tennis player, with a passion for being out on the water or travelling

Rachel Warby

Consultant
A self-confessed brand lover, Rachel has a background in insights and marketing, and a keen eye for how businesses can use creative solutions to grow. She’s a firm believer in working to challenge the status quo and believes the best innovations come from ripping up the rule book – her Psychology degree at Edinburgh University inspired a passion for using research to find human solutions to human problems. Rachel’s thirst (and indeed appetite) for different cultures has driven her around the world with a camera in hand, learning new languages and indeed picking up new recipes to try out too.

Alex Whyte

Consultant
Alex’s passion for understanding human behaviour enticed him into the world of insight and innovation. Fresh out of university, he has gained not just one but two degrees from the University of St Andrews, an MA in International Relations & Management, and an MLitt in International Business. In his spare time, Alex enjoys all things health & fitness, and can be regularly found on a rugby pitch or a golf course

Seb Fagan

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

Consultant
Born and raised in Rio, Marina is consumer and culture obsessed, speaking four languages, and spending her free time as a freelance trend forecaster for TrendWatching, mainly focused on Latin America. 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 loves to draw, read and practice yoga, she is plant-based and nature plays an important role in her life – from design inspiration to living as sustainably as possible

Sophie Lyon

Consultant
While studying Business & Management, Sophie was inspired to learn more about the ‘why’ behind human behaviour, to help understand the really big questions. She began her career in logistics, developing her problem-solving skills, and has since journeyed into the world of brand strategy, insight and innovation, to dig deeper and explore her interest in human-first thinking. Sophie was part of the England Netball set-up for many years, and these days can be found in the gym before adventuring out with friends to new places, usually to try new foods!

Gray Seiler

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

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.

Laura Brown

Consultant
Born and raised in Italy, Laura started her studies in design with work experiences in London, Milan and Rio de Janeiro. After graduating, Laura began her venture into the world of branding and innovation, developing a passion for understanding what lies behind human motivations, as well as collaborating to develop creative solutions for iconic brands. Laura speaks three languages fluently, and is passionate about discovering new cultures, appreciating art and literature, and hiking in nature.

Andrea Namirembe

Consultant
Andrea’s fascination with how human nature influences wider trends across the world has brought her to Brand Genetics during her placement year. She currently studies History at the University of Exeter, where she has spent time working towards better diversity & inclusion, joining debates and doing (some) studying. Andrea’s passion for forward-thinking doesn’t stop her from looking back as well, via museum trips or reciting the whole of the Hamilton musical!

Cat King

Financial Controller
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!

Andrea Sinclair

HR and Office Manager
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

Sian Penhallow

Resource Manager
Sian helps orchestrate BG’s amazing talent, enabling them to deliver the highest standards of insight and innovation. Her background is in project and resource management at Wolff Olins, Interbrand and other design agencies, where she helped keep the wheels turning with her people-first approach to resource planning. As a photographer, Sian loves all things creative, plus great food and wine, and getting outdoors for a walk or a run (when she's not organising PTA events or running around looking after her 2 children!)

Gemma Lockwood

Business Support
Gemma’s work helps to make Brand Genetics happen! A super-reliable organiser, she excels in customer service and administrative excellence, with strong interpersonal skills and communication. Gemma’s previous experience includes working as an Event Organiser at Hen & Stag Events, as well as spells at Lex Leisure and Mothercare. Outside work, Gemma enjoys planning fun days out with family and friends – her dream day out would be attending a Puppy Yoga Class!

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

Charlotte Melford

Senior Associate
A senior insights professional with over 15 years experience of bringing insight, strategy & innovation to business challenges. Previously European Managing Director at Clear and co-founder of Stripe Partners, with experience spanning global strategy, consumer insight & innovation plus activation & engagement. Charlotte started life at the BBC as an internal consultant. A mum of three kids and two kittens, she’s an enthusiastic cook and happiest enjoying a sundowner in sunnier climes

Nan Bai

Asia Senior Associate
Based in Shanghai, Bai is our lead associate in Asia. She has over 10 years of market research and creative strategic planning experience, gained at Added Value China (now Kantar Consulting) and SoooWhat. Bai loves to dig deeper into human needs and nuances, connecting local and global insights to identify marketing, branding and innovation solutions. She loves traveling and immersing herself into different cultures, and is also a big coffee lover and sports fan

Shivani Nirula

Asia Associate
Shivani is a proven entrepreneur and innovator, with experience in design, branding and strategy, who was previously at creative innovation agency Albion. Prior to that, Shivani founded and built Eska, an award-winning Yoga & Wellness clothing brand based in India. With an MBA (University of Bath), a Post-Grad in Entrepreneurship (Mumbai) and a BA in Design (Fashion & Textiles, Delhi), Shivani loves days that include a 'balance' of yoga, good coffee, conversation and dark chocolate!

Neha Ahmed

NA Associate
Born in Pakistan, educated in Saudi Arabia and resident in the UK, Neha is fascinated by culture, human psychology and social enterprise. With first class honours in Business & Management from Aston University and a Masters from LSE, she has worked at IBM in global resource management. Neha’s entrepreneurial ‘Educase’ idea – a portable desk for children in outdoor schools in Pakistan and Nepal – has won Rainmaking’s 2017 Innovation Start-Up Award

Poli Pieratti

LatAm Associate
An experienced insight and innovation specialist, having worked both client and agency side, most recently as Chief Communications Officer for Sui, a new premium RTD partnership with youth lifestyle brand Void General Stores, the first co-creation for ABI’s ZX Ventures in Brazil. Poli previously had agency spells at both FLAGCX and NOIX, she has worked in magazines and films, as well as co-founding Favo, a consultancy for social investment. A graduate in performing arts with a masters in painting, Poli enjoys the visual arts and music, and has a young puppy called Maré!

Finn

The youngest, friendliest and most energetic member of the Brand Genetics team, this is Finn’s first role in insight and innovation. While he struggles with our “be uniquely human” mantra, Finn makes up for this in other ways. A lover of new creative combinations, Finn is the product of a Clumber Spaniel father and a Poodle mother, making him proud to be a Clumberdoodle!

Could this be you?

We’re a growing family and always looking for diverse, talented and motivated people to join our team from interns to experienced consultants.

Please have a look at our openings below.  If none are currently listed that is suitable for you, but you still think you have something unique to offer, we would love you to get in touch!

Consultant
New York
Brand Genetics North America
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