Redefining Leadership in Market Research: Insights from Kelly Beaver MBE

In our latest episode of Early Insights, Kelly Beaver MBE, CEO of Ipsos UK & Ireland, shares how she built a career that spans consulting, entrepreneurship, public policy, and senior leadership in one of the world’s biggest research organisations.

From early days in economic consulting to leading large-scale COVID studies and shaping a multidisciplinary research business, Kelly talks about how curiosity, courage, and steady learning guided her path.

From Economics Student to Evaluation Specialist

Kelly’s career began with a mix of economics and sociology at university, where she first encountered research methods and student interviewing projects. That early work sparked an interest in how people think and how data helps explain real behaviour.

A gap-year placement at PwC in Northern Ireland took her into public policy and economics. She worked on appraisals of transport routes, infrastructure, schools, and hospitals, learning how to operate in environments with high expectations.

Those early roles gave her a toolkit she still relies on today: preparing for client meetings, understanding how to work with stakeholders at every level, and staying close to the practical impact of the work.

Entrepreneurship in Big and Small Organizations

After progressing to manager at PwC, Kelly moved to London, taking an equity stake in a 20-person consultancy. There was no order book when she arrived. She had to shape a proposition, create materials, and win work from nothing.

That experience strengthened her view that entrepreneurship exists everywhere.

“There’s a common misperception that just because you’re in a big business, you’re not entrepreneurial,” she explains. “In big businesses, you can find some of the greatest entrepreneurs who also have the ability to work in a matrix.”

In the small firm, she learned to do everything end-to-end, from pitching to delivery. In larger firms, she saw how people could introduce new processes inside complex organisations. Both shaped her leadership style.

Joining Ipsos and Building New Capabilities

After the consultancy was sold to an international development company, Kelly spent two years building an evaluation business on top of their delivery work. The global exposure was valuable, but she realized international development wasn’t where she wanted to stay long term.

While on gardening leave, she was approached about a role at Ipsos. Having previously partnered with them, she already respected their people and standards. Conversations with senior leaders led to a business case for a new evaluation unit within the Public Affairs division.

She joined Ipsos to build that unit. Over time, it grew into a major part of the Public Affairs business and positioned her for wider leadership as the division expanded.

Leading Through a National Crisis

Kelly later became Managing Director of Public Affairs and led the team through some of its most demanding work, including COVID-related studies and programmes with government and academic partners.

During the pandemic, Ipsos shifted its operations quickly. Call centers flipped from outbound to inbound. A nationwide “cool chain” was created to move swab tests at controlled temperatures from homes to laboratories, handling up to 150,000 tests per week.

“The market research sector is an incredible infrastructure in a country’s moment of need,” Kelly says. “When government needed to understand what people were doing, thinking, and feeling, the industry provided that information at speed.”

Her work during this period contributed to her being awarded an MBE for services to academia, research, and the COVID response.

The Future of Research Careers: Multidisciplinary and AI-Enabled

Today, as CEO of Ipsos UK & Ireland, Kelly leads a business that looks very different from when she started. Researchers are now part of a broader mix of talent.

Project managers, policy specialists, data scientists, data engineers, analysts, strategists, and on-site client teams all play a part. Many work across multiple data sources, building dashboards and solutions designed to integrate with client systems.

Artificial intelligence is also reshaping how work gets done. Kelly sees clear benefits in productivity and product development, but insists that strong research skills remain essential.

“It’s only as good as the data you’re feeding into it,” she says. “Researchers still need to know how to interpret information and when to question it.”

Career Advice: Keep Moving, Keep Connecting

Kelly’s core philosophy is straightforward.

“Don’t keep doing something if you already know how to do it”.

It’s easy to hold on to tasks because you’re reliable, but growth comes from stepping aside and stretching into something new.

She also emphasizes networking early and often. Relationships with clients, colleagues, and support teams open opportunities and offer support during challenging moments. When possible, she believes time spent face-to-face is still the strongest way to build those connections.

Her own routine includes early-morning time to exercise and think through priorities before the day fills with competing demands. It helps her stay intentional and focused on what matters most.