Dan Fleetwood records live from IIEX, speaking with Stan Sthanunathan, Brian Madden, and Jen Plebani about the biggest conversations shaping market research today. From AI and synthetic data to data quality, human judgment, and the future role of researchers, this episode captures the energy, concerns, and opportunities coming out of the conference.
In this special live episode of the Happy Market Research Podcast, Dan Fleetwood records from IIEX and speaks with three guests about the biggest conversations happening across the insights industry.
Stan Sthanunathan shares a candid perspective on AI, the urgent need for reskilling, and why data quality must return to the center of the conversation. Brian Madden talks about the continued value of human research, especially ethnography and jobs-to-be-done work, while Jen Plebani reflects on personal mission, extreme ownership, and how researchers can move from simply delivering insights to becoming architects of change.
Together, the conversations capture the mood of IIEX: excitement about AI, caution around synthetic data, renewed focus on data quality, and a strong reminder that human judgment still matters.
Guests:
Stan Sthanunathan – Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of iGenie. Stan previously served as Global Head of Insights at Unilever and Coca-Cola, bringing decades of leadership experience in insights and consumer understanding.
Brian Madden – Research and insights leader at Signature Product Group, a licensing firm that partners with brands such as Carhartt, Hurley, and Fox on category extensions. Brian brings a practical perspective on field research, product testing, and using insights to support business development.
Jen Plebani – Principal Researcher at BILL, focused on foundational and strategic research. Jen brings a thoughtful perspective on personal mission, ownership, AI adoption, and how research teams can create more meaningful business impact.
Useful links:
Stan Sthanunathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-sthanunathan-1ab4035/
Brian Madden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-madden/
Jen Plebani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenplebani/
Dan Fleetwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfleetwood
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