Episodes

A new year, and a new season of the Transforming Insight podcast! We begin Season 12 with Episode 83, and we’ve called it Leading Insight in 2026. Eagle-eyed IMA members will see that unusually I’ve decided to start this year with the same topic at the Insight forums and on the Transforming Insight podcast. I’ve done it because I think that irrespective of the size of our Insight team, its level of maturity, or our level of seniority within it, we all need to lead Insight’s transformation this year with purpose, right from the start.

In our second episode of season 12, James talks to Rhea Fox, Marketing Director at Moonpig Gift Experiences, former Insight Director at eBay and Aviva, and long-time Insight forum participant. Rhea shares her journey through 15 years in Insight roles, emphasising that research only delivers value when effectively embedded within business decision-making. She advocates for Insight teams to move beyond seeing Insight as a separate function and focus on becoming integral partners across departments, building strong stakeholder relationships that ensure research directly influences organisational strategy.

If you work in a corporate Insight team, how easy do you find it to be invited into the room when big decisions are being made? And how often do you make such an impression that you’re invited back? In every organisation, there are managers who have more influence on outcomes regardless of their job title. There are those who find it easy to build credibility and trust. And there are some who are adept at driving change through other people. All these attributes often reflect the same underlying quality: they are the natural consequences of having developed personal impact.

What does it mean to lead through Insight in a world that never slows down? In our fourth episode of season 12, James welcomes Eddie O’Brien, Senior Director, Global Customer Insight and Experience at Sage. From navigating the pace of the SaaS industry to reimagining what Insight professionals can and should be, Eddie brings a refreshingly candid and forward-thinking perspective to the conversation.

What does it take to build a world-class Insight function from the ground up — and keep evolving it as the world changes around you? In the fifth episode of season 12, James is joined by Thomas Walker, VP – Global Consumer Insights at eBay, whose team has grown from just three people when he joined in 2017 to a team of around 50 today. That growth isn't just a number; it's an indicator of how seriously eBay's leadership takes the value of consumer understanding.

What separates a good Insight professional from a truly impactful one? It might come down to something deceptively simple and yet surprisingly difficult: the willingness to form and express a confident opinion. In this episode, we take a step back from our recent conversations with Insight leaders at Sage and eBay to focus closer to home, on the individual mindset and behaviours that define how Insight professionals show up in their organisations. Joining host James Whycherley is Jane Woolley, James’s colleague and senior adviser at the Insight Management Academy, whose 20 years of guiding Insight teams give her a sharp and empathetic view of what holds professionals back.