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Governance

Our Board

  • The ESOMAR Foundation has a two-tier board structure: the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board.
  • The Board of Directors is responsible for setting and achieving the objectives and policies of the ESOMAR Foundation, including managing its assets and determining the causes eligible for funding. It meets regularly to discuss the projects submitted for funding as well as other strategic decisions.
  • The Board of Directors is accountable to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board supervises and advises the Board of Management and safeguards the original objectives of the Foundation.
  • The members of the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board do not receive compensation from ESOMAR Foundation.

The ESOMAR Foundation Board consists of representatives from the market research industry including supervisory members representing the ESOMAR Council.

President

Karin Lieshout

Karin Lieshout is Co-CEO of SKIM, a global insights consultancy working with leading organizations to shape stronger pricing, brand communication, and innovation strategies. What motivates her is not 'just' to drive growth, but to also make a difference. This belief led her to launch SKIMpact, SKIM’s commitment to contributing to a better world.

As President of the ESOMAR Foundation, Karin is passionate about bringing the insights community together around a shared purpose: using our knowledge, skills and resources to create positive and lasting impact for society.

Karin Lieshout is Co-CEO of SKIM, a global insights consultancy working with leading organizations to shape stronger pricing, brand communication, and innovation strategies. What motivates her is not 'just' to drive growth, but to also make a difference. This belief led her to launch SKIMpact, SKIM’s commitment to contributing to a better world.

As President of the ESOMAR Foundation, Karin is passionate about bringing the insights community together around a shared purpose: using our knowledge, skills and resources to create positive and lasting impact for society.

Board Member

Mayke Harkema

Mayke Harkema is Senior Manager at SKIM, and one of the emerging young voices shaping the future of the insights industry. She is a recipient of a 2025 ESOMAR YES Award and was recognized among the Significant Insights Global 30 Under 30 in 2024. She's a passionate advocate for young researchers to dedicate their ‘bread and butter” skills into powerful support for organizations tackling our world’s toughest issues. As a driving force behind the Foundation's initiative OneDay she connects charities and non-profits with corporate volunteers from the insights industry, empowering them to lend a day of their expertise and make a real-world impact, #OneDay at a time.

Mayke Harkema is Senior Manager at SKIM, and one of the emerging young voices shaping the future of the insights industry. She is a recipient of a 2025 ESOMAR YES Award and was recognized among the Significant Insights Global 30 Under 30 in 2024. She's a passionate advocate for young researchers to dedicate their ‘bread and butter” skills into powerful support for organizations tackling our world’s toughest issues. As a driving force behind the Foundation's initiative OneDay she connects charities and non-profits with corporate volunteers from the insights industry, empowering them to lend a day of their expertise and make a real-world impact, #OneDay at a time.
Board Member

Sonia Whitehead

Sonia Whitehead is Head of Research at BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international charity focused on using media to inform and empower people worldwide. With 12 years at the organization, Sonia specializes in media research to develop and evaluate impactful content, working on projects from climate change perceptions in Asia to gender issues in conflict zones like Syria and Somalia.

Sonia Whitehead is the Head of Research at BBC Media Action, the international charity of the BBC that uses media to inform, connect and empower people around the world. She has worked there for 12 years and has specialized in conducting media research to develop content and evaluate its impact. This work has ranged from understanding people’s perceptions of climate change across Asia and exploring gender-related issues with people living in conflict in Syria, Afghanistan, Darfur and Somalia. Before that Sonia worked in market research both in the UK and India.
Treasurer

Phyllis Macfarlane

Phyllis Macfarlane has worked in market research throughout her career, managing GfK UK from 2000-2009, then spending several years working on the GfK Verein’s behalf, setting up and supporting market research education in Africa and China. She is a Fellow of the MRS and winner of the MRS Gold and Silver medals and ESOMAR Excellence Award. The main ‘drivers’ of her current work are improving data quality, through Better Statistics CIC (a campaign group), and education. At ESOMAR Foundation her focus is to support research education through Scholarships for deserving students in developing countries, giving opportunity to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it.

Phyllis Macfarlane has worked in market research throughout her career, managing GfK UK from 2000-2009, then spending several years working on the GfK Verein’s behalf, setting up and supporting market research education in Africa and China. She is a Fellow of the MRS and winner of the MRS Gold and Silver medals and ESOMAR Excellence Award. The main ‘drivers’ of her current work are improving data quality, through Better Statistics CIC (a campaign group), and education. At ESOMAR Foundation her focus is to support research education through Scholarships for deserving students in developing countries, giving opportunity to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it.
Secretary

Angela Canin

Angela has worked at Esomar since 2005 and has accumulated a great amount of knowledge and respect for the industry in that time. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand with a Bachelors in English, she began her career in the healthcare industry, moving quickly into the retails and Manufacturing environment. She has lived on 3 continents in 4 countries which has afforded a ‘citizen of the world’ perspective to her current position. Angela is a founding member of the Esomar Foundation

Angela has worked at Esomar since 2005 and has accumulated a great amount of knowledge and respect for the industry in that time. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand with a Bachelors in English, she began her career in the healthcare industry, moving quickly into the retails and Manufacturing environment. She has lived on 3 continents in 4 countries which has afforded a ‘citizen of the world’ perspective to her current position. Angela is a founding member of the Esomar Foundation
Supervisory Board

Lucy Davison

Lucy Davison FMRS is an award-winning marketing expert with 30+ years’ experience. She founded Keen as Mustard Marketing in 2006, the firm advises global insight teams at Flora, Coca-Cola, Adobe, and Purina. KaM also helps agencies like System1, InsightsNow and tech firms like Forsta and Zappi market themselves. Formerly global marketing director at Research International, she’s written for major publications, judged awards, and launched the Design Effectiveness Awards. A MRS Fellow (2023) and twice elected ESOMAR Council member, Lucy is a sought-after speaker.

Lucy Davison FMRS is an award-winning marketing expert with 30+ years’ experience. She founded Keen as Mustard Marketing in 2006, the firm advises global insight teams at Flora, Coca-Cola, Adobe, and Purina. KaM also helps agencies like System1, InsightsNow and tech firms like Forsta and Zappi market themselves. Formerly global marketing director at Research International, she’s written for major publications, judged awards, and launched the Design Effectiveness Awards. A MRS Fellow (2023) and twice elected ESOMAR Council member, Lucy is a sought-after speaker.
Board Member - Day to day Management

Anna Alu

Anna is Senior Consultant – Developments at ESOMAR. Anna applies to the ESOMAR Foundation her knowledge and skills built in many years of playing a pivotal role in broadening and enhancing the worldwide events calendar and leading several key projects at ESOMAR.

Anna is Senior Consultant – Developments at ESOMAR. Born in Italy, Anna applies to the ESOMAR Foundation her knowledge and skills built in many years of playing a pivotal role in broadening and enhancing the worldwide events calendar and leading several key projects at ESOMAR.
Supervisory Board

Martha Llobet

Martha Llobet is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Q2Q Global, a boutique market research agency established in 2016 to deliver tailored fieldwork solutions grounded in local market expertise. She has over two decades of experience in the research industry, having previously held senior positions at TNS and Kantar (Millward Brown). Since 2023 Martha has also served on the boards of ESOMAR and the Association for Qualitative Research (AQR). She actively supports research excellence and mentors emerging professionals. Since 2025 she is part of Esomar foundation.

Martha Llobet is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Q2Q Global, a boutique market research agency established in 2016 to deliver tailored fieldwork solutions grounded in local market expertise. She has over two decades of experience in the research industry, having previously held senior positions at TNS and Kantar (Millward Brown). Since 2023 Martha has also served on the boards of ESOMAR and the Association for Qualitative Research (AQR). She actively supports research excellence and mentors emerging professionals. Since 2025 she is part of Esomar foundation.
Board Member

Jon Arthurs

Jon Arthurs brings over 30 years of experience in Marketing and Research. He spent 10 years client-side with Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, and the UK Central Government (COI), followed by more than 20 years in leadership roles within agencies and consultancies.
In his current role at Toluna, Jon is one of their Managing Directors and also serves as Global Head of Sustainability. He has been central to the development and implementation of Toluna’s ESG strategy, leading all related initiatives. Jon is passionate about helping businesses and brands grow—often through a sustainability lens—using creativity and strategic thinking to turn insight into action, shaping products, brands, and communications that deliver value for people, the planet, and long-term profit.

Jon Arthurs brings over 30 years of experience in Marketing and Research. He spent 10 years client-side with Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, and the UK Central Government (COI), followed by more than 20 years in leadership roles within agencies and consultancies.
In his current role at Toluna, Jon is one of their Managing Directors and also serves as Global Head of Sustainability. He has been central to the development and implementation of Toluna’s ESG strategy, leading all related initiatives. Jon is passionate about helping businesses and brands grow—often through a sustainability lens—using creativity and strategic thinking to turn insight into action, shaping products, brands, and communications that deliver value for people, the planet, and long-term profit.

Since 2023, Jon has also been a Visiting Fellow and Advisory Board member at Oxford Brookes University Business School, advising on strategy and course design and guest lecturing on marketing and ESG topics within postgraduate programs.