30Under30 Nominee: Massa al Kahf

Great to hear from Global 30 Under 30 Nominee, Massa al Kahf, a Senior Research Executive in the qualitative team at Opinium, an insights agency based in London. Massa works across different sectors and particularly loves moderation and multi-market briefs, hearing people’s experiences first-hand and helping brands understand their customers across different cultures.

How did you find your way into research, data and insights?

I studied behavioural economics and remember learning about case studies where consultancies were applying the frameworks we were studying to behaviour change. I loved the theories, but seeing how they could help businesses made me want to do that myself. I didn’t have a particular sector in mind and liked the idea of working across different industries. Market research felt like the perfect fit. I could develop a research framework while still being commercially minded, using what we learned to make recommendations for businesses.

I was particularly drawn to qualitative research because I enjoy interacting with people. Moderating felt like such a unique position to be in, hearing directly about people’s lived experiences and then bringing that customer voice to life for businesses.

What part of your work are you most proud of and why?

Moderating co-creation workshop in Paris for a food company really stands out. It was my first experience of bringing consumers and clients into the same room to develop ideas together. Speaking with consumers is such a regular part of my job that it felt quite natural to me, but seeing the clients’ reactions made me appreciate it differently. They were completely absorbed, wanting to ask more questions and get to know the people behind the research.

There was something really special about everyone contributing and building on each other’s ideas. It made me feel proud to be part of creating that connection and reminded me how powerful it can be for clients to meet the people we spend so much time trying to understand.

What have you learned so far that you wish you’d known when you started your career?

How much room there is to be creative in your approach, especially in qualitative research. In my first few months in the industry, I remember looking at past discussion guides and questionnaires and thinking I needed to follow the same formula. They were helpful to learn from, but I wish I’d realised sooner that they were a starting point, rather than the only way to do things. There’s so much scope to think differently about how you ask a question, introduce an activity or help someone express something they might struggle to put into words. I’ve learned to start with what we’re trying to understand and then think about the best way to get there. That’s made designing research a much more creative and enjoyable part of the job for me!

What excites you most about the future of insights and what would you like to help change?

What excites me is having more ways to approach a research question. With AI moderation and synthetic research in the mix, I see the future becoming much more case by case. There may be briefs where speed makes AI moderation worth exploring, and others where we need the depth and interaction of a human-moderated conversation or focus group. The interesting part is knowing what each approach can offer and where its limits are.

With things changing so quickly, staying sharp and developing our critical thinking will be essential. I’d like to help build that judgement: being open to experimenting, asking difficult questions about the outputs and making thoughtful choices about what will actually answer the client’s question.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in the industry today?

An old boss taught me a principle that’s stayed with me: “Get there first.” Don’t wait for someone to introduce you to a tool, suggest a training session or show you a different approach. Go out and find it yourself.

There are so many skills, tools and approaches you can learn in this industry, and what you use day to day is only a small part of that. Your team might use one platform or method, while other researchers do things completely differently. For me, browsing LinkedIn, finding smaller research networks, joining webinars as part of my training on the job and speaking to people outside my team made a real difference. I discovered tools and approaches I wouldn’t otherwise have come across.

Before joining my first agency, I reached out to people working there and elsewhere in the industry to learn about their experiences. Those conversations helped me find my feet, and I still make a point of replying to graduates who reach out to me. Ask for help and make time to offer it when you can!

Who has helped you along the way?

I’m really inspired by people who get things done and bring others with them. Three people come to mind.

Claire Kennard, the MD at my previous agency, taught me so much. She was masterful at client negotiations, but what stayed with me most was how seriously she took her responsibility for her team. She understood each of us individually, knew how to speak our language and made us feel appreciated. If someone was facing a problem, they weren’t left to deal with it alone. As a young woman starting out, seeing her combine that commercial confidence with such personal care gave me a real example of the kind of leader I admire.

My current career manager, Jordan Wood, really gets me and has done so much to build my confidence. He actively creates opportunities for junior colleagues, even giving up his own speaking place at conferences so they can have that experience and visibility. That says a lot about him. Being trusted and championed in that way has helped me grow enormously and made opportunities I might once have found intimidating feel within reach.

And James Endersby, Opinium’s CEO, is someone whose actions live up to his words. I admire the connections he’s built across different networks, but it’s also the small things. During a heatwave, he encouraged us to get an ice cream from the independent corner shop next door. It stayed with me because “doing good” is one of Opinium’s goals, and here was a simple, thoughtful way of putting that into practice. He’s a class act and I’m happy to work somewhere I trust the person leading it.