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Insights & Innovators Podcast from MRII

Insights & Innovators Podcast from MRII

The Greenbook Podcast Network 71 Episodes Jul 23, 2026

Data and insights have become the required superpowers of growth companies. No matter what peak or trough the economy is in, business leaders need actionable insights to grow markets, engage customers, and make smart strategic decisions. And research professionals need skills and insights to grow their strategic seat at the table. MRII’s Insights & Innovators talks to today’s top experts and innovators to chart a path for the role, the research methods of tomorrow, and the growing importance of the researcher to business success.

Episodes

Building Human Connections in the Era of AI with Stacy Taffet
Building Human Connections in the Era of AI with Stacy Taffet Jul 23, 2026 29:20 If everything becomes perfectly optimized, it all starts to look the same, and that’s where brand building dies. In this episode, Nick Graham, Founder of Vertemis, speaks with Stacy Taffet, Chief Growth Officer at The Hershey Company, about keeping marketing and insights deeply human in an AI-shaped world. They discuss why true consumer centricity is about understanding the “why,” not just dashboa
Trust But Verify: Validating AI in the Insights Industry with Christopher Barnes
Trust But Verify: Validating AI in the Insights Industry with Christopher Barnes Jul 9, 2026 31:56 In this Insights and Innovators Podcast episode, host Niels Schillewaert (Head of Research, Conveo.ai) speaks with Christopher Barnes, President of Escalent, about how market research organizations are approaching AI, why many fail to rigorously validate AI outputs, and how persuasive, energy-efficient model changes can increase risk. Barnes argues insights teams must become “insights and action”
Beyond the Hype: Making AI Work in Insights with Pankaj Chopra
Beyond the Hype: Making AI Work in Insights with Pankaj Chopra Jul 2, 2026 33:59 Most AI projects fail when teams treat AI like a plug-in tool instead of a fully integrated system embedded in real workflows. In this episode, Nick Graham, Founder of Vertemis, speaks with Pankaj Chopra, VP & head of Data, Analytics & AI at Edgewell Personal Care, about the biggest myths in AI for insights and why pilots often never scale. They unpack what it takes to move from ad hoc exp
How Can Insights Agencies Grow and Become Indispensable with Paul Griffiths
How Can Insights Agencies Grow and Become Indispensable with Paul Griffiths Jun 25, 2026 28:45 “If we can’t demonstrate our value, we may not deserve to exist.” Paul Griffiths, Founder, Client Advocates, joins host Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, to unpack what insights agencies must do to grow in a disrupted market. They discuss why agencies often sell process over commercial outcomes, and how competitors like consultancies win by linking research to decision confidence and business impact
How Biases and Blindspots Block Great Marketing with Roger Jackson & Dr. Tim Holmes
How Biases and Blindspots Block Great Marketing with Roger Jackson & Dr. Tim Holmes Jun 11, 2026 40:26 Some of the biggest barriers to great marketing aren’t in consumers’ minds, but in marketers’ own blind spots and biases. In this episode, Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, speaks with Roger Jackson, CEO, Shopper Intelligence and Dr. Tim Holmes, Neuroscientist, Researcher, and Author, about their book The Nursery Rhyme Conundrum and why we routinely overestimate how clearly we communicate. They expl
How to Manage Culture with Tara Marotti
How to Manage Culture with Tara Marotti Jun 4, 2026 27:11 Culture won’t move at the speed of strategy, so leaders have to back up the message with consistent actions. In this episode, Jon Last, President, Sports and Leisure Research Group, talks with Tara Marotti, President & CEO, Burke Inc., about leading a 95-year legacy organization through rapid change as it evolves into a global, data-driven consultancy. Tara shares how AI, client budget pressur
Burning Bright Without Burning Out with Jing Mertoglu
Burning Bright Without Burning Out with Jing Mertoglu May 28, 2026 32:19 Energy is “oxygen for leadership,” and it’s a choice you make in every interaction. Jing Mertoglu, Global VP Insights and Analytics, Suntory Global Spirits, joins host Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, to talk about burning bright without burning out. They explore heliotropic leadership and why teams naturally gravitate toward leaders who bring light rather than drain it, even during tough conversat
The New Research Architecture with Carol Haney
The New Research Architecture with Carol Haney May 14, 2026 31:15 “Don’t let AI make you stupid” is the warning at the center of this conversation about how research is changing. Carol Haney, Head of Data Science, Statistics & Research at Qualtrics, joins host Niels Schillewaert, Head of Research at Conveo.ai, to discuss whether declining survey response rates signal a temporary dip or a structural shift in market research and CX. They cover practical survey
How To Turn Insights Into Real Business Impact with Elizabeth Oates
How To Turn Insights Into Real Business Impact with Elizabeth Oates May 7, 2026 32:09 If your insights are only “interesting,” they can easily get ignored, so start with the business choice you’re trying to influence. In this episode, Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, talks with Elizabeth Oates, VP Consumer Insights, Molson Coors Beverage Company, about turning research into action and building insights functions that drive decisions. Elizabeth shares the moment that led her to write
How Insights Drive Disruption with Vineet Mehra
How Insights Drive Disruption with Vineet Mehra Apr 30, 2026 27:23 “Today is the worst AI we’ll ever have,” and that shift is rewriting what insights teams must deliver. In this episode, Vineet Mehra, Chief Growth & Marketing Officer, Chime, joins host Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, to discuss what the C-suite values most from insights: not reporting, but synthesis that connects product value to real human needs. Vineet shares how Chime used segmentation, et
How to Build the Insight Edge with Vivek Banerji
How to Build the Insight Edge with Vivek Banerji Apr 16, 2026 34:55 More information doesn’t automatically lead to better insights, and the relationship between data and insight is nonlinear. Vivek Banerji, Author & Founder, Insight Dojo, joins host Niels Schillewaert, Head of Research, Conveo.ai, to unpack why organizations often conflate insight with information and stay “data rich but insights poor.” They discuss what leaders and insights teams miss most of
Stop Shipping Decks, Start Shipping Decisions with Oksana Sobol
Stop Shipping Decks, Start Shipping Decisions with Oksana Sobol Apr 9, 2026 43:58 What we deliver isn’t insights or models, it’s growth ideas and better business decisions. Oksana Sobol, Vice President, Insights and Decision Intelligence, The Clorox Company, joins host Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, to explain how expectations for insights and analytics are shifting as organizations become faster, flatter, and more AI-enabled. They discuss moving from a “function” to an always

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