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The Truwind Critical Thinkers

Truwind (Prev. Research First)
Carl Davidson, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Carl Davidson

  • Carl is one of New Zealand’s best-known social scientists. His long and distinguished career in research stretches over 30 years and includes stints as an academic, practitioner, and author. He has crafted an enviable reputation for his expertise in consumer psychology, research design and behavioural change. Carl is the author or editor of ten books about research practise in New Zealand and he is the past Chief Commissioner for the Families Commission.

    These days Carl is the Head of Insight at Research First and he is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canterbury.

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Ann Thompson, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Ann Thompson

  • Ann is a rare talent, combining strategic thinking and excellent research skills. She has a specialism in design thinking and leads the CX, Reputation and Brand capability within the agency.


    Ann has built a distinguished career in market research throughout the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific over the past 25 years. During this time, she has been an integral advisor to global companies forging new markets, led the development of new brand propositions, assumed guardianship of the world’s most loved consumer brands, and supported creative agencies in the ideation of award-winning campaigns and brand activation.


    As Research Director, Ann has oversight of all projects and for ensuring a consistently high calibre around the delivery of evidence-based and actionable insights to each of our clients.

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Rachel Harris

  • As our Head of Insight, Rachel manages the team and supports them to deliver the best possible work for our clients.

     

    She has 20+ years of commercial market research experience both in New Zealand and in the UK, including a few years client-side in the sport sector. Rachel brings expertise across the research process and is a quantitative researcher by trade, with experience in brand and advertising research. But she loves the variety of projects that come our way as an agency and distilling research into easy-to-understand reports and actions for our clients.

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    Outside of work, Rachel is kept busy with two young kids and is involved in advocating for gender equity in sport through her work with Women in Sport Waitaha.

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Jo Storry, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Jo Storry

  • After 25 yrs navigating consumer and cultural insight across  Europe, APAC and the Americas,  Jo returned home in 2020 to Aotearoa New Zealand and the Truwind team. She leads our Qualitative offer and brings her depth of experience in cultures, markets and communications to our client stories and solutions.

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Liz Harley, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Liz Morley

  • With a 20-year career spanning the insights sector, Liz has gained her extensive experience on the journey from the global agencies in London, through insight activation within central government, to the insights team and then the business development team at Truwind. Liz partners with our clients to chart their path forward, providing them with the tools necessary for success.

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Kekoa Baker, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Kekoa Baker

  • Pacific Development Manager Kekoa is a proud Kānaka Maoli wahine dedicated to decolonising and indigenising research. As the Pacific Development Manager at Truwind, she ensures that all Pacific research processes and projects are grounded in Pacific perspectives, prioritising the voices of Tāngata Moana | Pacific communities, and providing clients with access to rich data from the region.

     

    With extensive experience in research, monitoring, and evaluation, coupled with postgraduate studies focused on indigenous social inclusion, Kekoa seamlessly integrates traditional knowledge with contemporary research methodologies. She is deeply committed to delivering insights that authentically capture the stories and needs of the communities she engages with, driving impactful change.

     

    Kekoa thrives in helping clients move beyond data, collaborating to transform insights into actionable strategies that can reshape policy and industry, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes.

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Jonathan Dodd, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Jonathan Dodd

  • Jonathan brings over 25 years of industry experience to Truwind. He holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences from the University of Waikato and is a Fellow of the Research Association of New Zealand. Jonathan has worked across a wide range of sectors, methodologies and techniques; excelling in the complex intersection of society, psychology and client objectives. His strengths lie in behavioural science, branding and social-good causes. Outside of work, Jonathan is an avid cyclist and takes every opportunity to explore the path less taken.

Pip Aimer, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Pip Aimer

  • Pip is a Senior Insights Analyst with over 25 years of experience in research and project management. With a PhD in Medicine (Behavioural Science) and an MA in Social Science Research, she brings deep expertise to complex research challenges.

     

    Drawing on her background in data analytics, health, and social sciences, Pip helps organisations develop effective strategies that create real change. She specialises in both qualitative and quantitative methods and works closely with government, commercial, and non-profit agencies to deliver meaningful results. Known for her strategic thinking and innovative problem-solving skills, she excels at complex research projects that require a multidisciplinary approach, particularly when bridging research findings with practical outcomes.

     

    When she's not analysing data or leading research projects, Pip stays active through cycling and gardening and loves to travel to explore new places.

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Jo Secher

  • Jo Secher has a research background spanning 14 years covering commercial, non-profit, public sector and academic research. With past roles both client-side (most recently at Whakaata Māori) and agency-side (Kantar), Jo has developed expertise in interpreting quantitative data, communicating insights effectively, and maintaining high ethical standards in research.

     

    He has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Otago, and loves research because he is motivated by a relentless curiosity. He is particularly interested in research design and advanced analytics, and always on the lookout for cunning ways to extract maximum value from quantitative data.

     

    When he’s not sitting at his desk he can often be found walking his dog – an activity he finds helps him think of some of his better ideas.

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    Email Jo at  jo.secher@truwind.co.nz
    Connect with Jo on LinkedIn.

Brad Wallwork, market researcher at Truwind (Prev. Research First)

Brad Wallwork

  • Brad Wallwork is an insights analyst. Owing to a late-stage career change, Brad only has a couple of years of industry experience, however he makes up for this by being insatiably curious.

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    Formerly a graphic designer with Truwind, Brad spent many years creatively visualising research findings, before realizing that the research itself was far more interesting. His creativity and curiosity, combined with an artist’s talent for observation, made him a powerful addition to the research team.

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    Brad has a knack for seeing how strands of information weave together to form a story. His years working in advertising have given him strong insights into communication, and what motivates his fellow humans. While being particularly passionate about working in the mental health, wellbeing, and mobility sectors, Brad still manages to find something fascinating in every story he researches.

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    In his spare time Brad is into reading and woodworking.

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    Connect with Brad on LinkedIn
    Email Brad at Brad.wallwork@truwind.co.nz

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Olivia Saint Merat

  • Olivia is an Insights Analyst who embraces a mixed-methodology reporting approach, with a strong focus on cultural and policy research. Raised in a Kaupapa Māori environment, she carries a deep understanding of cultural values and traditions, which she seamlessly integrates into her work.

     

    With a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) double major in Political Science and History, Olivia is uniquely positioned to bridge cultural and contextual knowledge with methodological and structural analysis. She ensures that data is not only rigorously analyzed but also remains true to its core meaning, translating insights with cultural integrity and strategic clarity.

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    Connect with Olivia on LinkedIn
    Email Olivia at Olivia@truwind.co.nz

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