Kadence International is an agency with a lot of talent from all around the world. In this series, we honor some of our female colleagues leading up to International Women’s Day, asking them about their experience working within the market research industry and what the future holds for the industry.
Name: Iris Lorenzo
Position: Managing Director
Kadence Office: Philippines
When did you join Kadence?
I joined the Kadence in November 2017.
What does your role as Managing Director – Philippines entail?
I develop and execute business strategies, and direct and control business operations.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I start with a daily catch-up call with the team on all of the project updates, RFQ/RFPs pending, HR/Admin/Finance Updates, and other critical items. I then attend client meetings – credentials presentations, quote/proposal discussions, and project meetings. This is followed by final checking and approval of high-value quotes and proposals, and checking of Qual, Quant, and CI reports to our clients. In between meetings, I approve project and admin expense requests and review and sign contracts.
Is there anything different, unique about conducting research in your country?
Filipinos are typically positive, agreeable, and generally do not want to offend anyone. In qualitative research, we have to highlight that the moderator will not be offended if they have any negative comments – in fact, it will be helpful to also hear about contrary opinions. For quantitative research, respondents tend to score higher so we should take this into consideration in the analysis.
What was the very first job that you had (during school, college, or university)?
I worked as an intern at the Ateneo Human Rights Center, where we provided legal aid to the Mangyans. These are the indigenous peoples of the Philippine island of Mindoro, who were being illegally evacuated from their homeland due to industrialization and illegal logging operations.
Did you earn any experience before joining Kadence that helped your MR career?
I worked as a Strategy and Competitive Intelligence Trainer, where I traveled to different countries in Southeast Asia and Australia to train company executives and government officials on Competitiveness, Early Warning Practices, War Games, and Scenario Planning.
What is it about market research that excites you the most?
The continuous learning about different industries, products, and services. The constant expansion of my knowledge about a variety of things makes me feel that I am growing every day.
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What is it about Kadence’s company culture that you like the most?
Agility – it allows us to quickly address a need or challenge by having collaborative resources across the different offices.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a detective like Nancy Drew.
What qualities do you feel are “a must” for anyone exploring a career in market research?
A market researcher must be curious and inquisitive.
What piece of advice would you give someone looking to start a career in market research?
You have to be open and flexible, there is so much to learn, and it is a great adventure if you listen well, observe closely, and be brave enough to step out of your comfort zone.
How have you seen the field of market research change since you started your market research career?
Most of our methodologies were face-to-face and paper-based when I first started. The switch to digitization was slow until the pandemic happened. It just supercharged our adoption of technology in our methodologies.
What is it about the field of market research you wish everyone knew?
Market research is an exciting career where things are never the same every day. You will not be bored with your job, as there is always a new question, a new opinion, a new perspective, a new profile, and a new challenge.
What is your favorite hero or movie of all time, and why?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Not only was Gary Oldman brilliant in his performance, but it shows that a being is not defined only by his nature. Love can bring out the monster in all of us, and can also bring redemption.
What is your favorite quote, motto or favorite phrase?
“Ang puno na hitik sa bunga ay binabato” is a Filipino phrase that translates to “People throw stones at trees that bear a lot of fruit”.
If you could time travel into the future 10 years, how will market research evolve?
We will have a lot more neuroscience tools, and virtual reality will be commonly used across different methodologies.
What do you like to do in your free time, when you are not working?
I like binge-watching “post-apocalyptic earth” TV shows and movies
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