How did you get there? Nick Rich
Great to hear from Nick Rich who was recently made a Fellow of the MRS, is currently Co-Founder & Partner at Growth Constructors and formerly, Global VP of Insights & Analytics at both InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Carlsberg Group.
So, how did you get into the industry, and take us through how you got to this point?
I initially entered as a summer job at Harris Research in Richmond-upon-Thames, doing phone and in-home interviews on everything from fast food to voting polls. I discovered how fascinating people are when you ask good questions and how much depends on producing good questionnaires! I have stories!!
I then joined BMRB’s grad scheme, starting in data processing (and realising coding and scripting wasn’t for me), before moving into research proper. From there, I went client-side to Nokia, where I led research in emerging markets and helped launch the Nokia 1100, still the world’s all-time, best-selling phone.
After stints back agency-side at TNS and then building the first regional Insights team at IHG (eventually becoming VP of Group Insights & Analytics), I moved to Carlsberg in Denmark as global VP to transform their Insights & Analytics function, because who wouldn’t want to work in beer! In truth, the move into FMCG was pivotal and I only wish I had done it sooner.
Now, back in the UK, I’ve co-founded Growth Constructors to help C-suite, Growth and Insights leaders pinpoint where business and brand growth is, and isn’t, possible, and then make it happen, so our function and profession can finally earn that seat at the top table.
Why should anyone consider a career in market research, data and insights?
Because it’s relentlessly interesting. If you love variety, problem-solving, psychology, economics or want to understand how the world works, this profession offers it all. You’ll work with inspiring people, travel to unexpected places and, if you’re lucky, make consumer’s lives better in both small or significant ways. Sometimes, all of this in the same day.
It’s a privilege to have had the professional and personal experiences this role has delivered and I would always encourage others to join us.
Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share an honest moment from your career when things didn’t go quite according to plan, but the lessons remain with you to this day?
Two pivotal learning points for me.
Starting at BMRB International in Data Processing was hugely valuable in understanding how data is designed, constructed, manipulated and delivered. Moving to the research side let me work directly with clients to solve real business challenges, and that’s where I thrived.
Sometimes, figuring out what you don’t want to do is just as powerful as knowing what you do.
Second, I delivered a results debrief to an audience of existing B2B customers, presenting the truth and realities of the market when my stakeholder wanted a sales pitch, full of good news and positive angles. I learned that research and insights is a means to an ends. The answer to a business challenge is not the research study, method or sample size. It is what that new knowledge solves for or changes. Business action or improvement is the destination, not the delivery of your research study.
What do you wish someone had told you when you were just starting out in research?
Don’t wait for permission to grow. Volunteer for that project. Say yes to the unfamiliar category. Talk to someone whose job you admire. The more diverse your experience, the sharper your thinking and the faster you’ll know what kind of researcher you want to be.
What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?
Step out of your comfort zone. Take on new challenges even before you feel fully ready. It’ll make you more resilient, adaptable and creative, and you’ll bring fresh perspectives from each new category or role you tackle.
And build your network. Get involved in industry groups outside your day job. This community is full of brilliant people who’ll teach you, support you and make the journey a lot more fun. Some of my most rewarding career moments have come from supporting groups like the MRS, AURA and the IMA.
What’s one myth about working in Insights that you wish we’d retire for good?
That we’re just here to answer questions. The most impactful researchers ensure they look beyond the brief, are able to challenge assumptions and focus on identifying the right problems to solve. That’s where real business influence begins and it’s what makes this job endlessly rewarding.
Do you have any advice for our sector?
Our long-held purpose of being ‘the voice of the consumer’ has unintentionally limited our impact and standing. It is confining and restrictive. As a singular goal, it sounds passive and reactive, even peripheral, and ultimately places us at the edges of strategic decision-making.
It’s time we expanded our purpose. Insights should be seen, and see itself, as a creator of value.
Not just putting consumers at the heart of decision-making but also actively shaping strategy, identifying where growth is possible, and driving commercial performance.
Insight should no longer be seen as a support function. We are enablers of smarter decisions, stronger businesses and more relevant, future-fit brands. If we start thinking of ourselves this way, others will too.
And do you have anyone who has helped your career so far that you’d like to acknowledge and say thanks or give a shout out to?
Simon Glanville at Harris gave me my first break, and Trevor Wilkinson at BMRB backed me when I wanted to shift career paths.
More recently, Chris Warmoth, former CSO and Executive Chair at Carlsberg, challenged me harder than anyone else in my career. He made me think deeply about my value, my impact, and how I showed up. It wasn’t always easy, but it made me sharper, more commercially minded and far more resilient. Everyone needs a “Chris” at some point in their career.
Lastly, my wife, Zosia. Plenty of words but none of them sufficient to do her partnership and support justice.