Our years of experience in market research recruitment have led us to have a streetwise approach to fieldwork which gives us the edge over other fieldwork agencies. Whether you need general consumers or high calibre, hard to source business respondents, our fieldworkers have the experience to source them.
We take the time to understand the unique demands of your research project, delivering a bespoke solution that gives you the insight that you require.
Chief Commercial Officer
Abi was central to the creation of Acumen in 2005 and has been a driving force in the success of the business since then. Her role as Managing Director sees her running the business on a day to day basis but she’s still just as happy to roll up her sleeves and help out on any project. When not at work, Abi is kept busy by her 2 young daughters, cat and dog. She also loves organising anything, whether that’s as a trustee of a cat charity and an active member of the school PTA.
Abi secret passions include knitting and numismatics – which is coin collecting for those us who are ignorant/have a social life.
Founder
Julie Fuller founded Acumen Fieldwork after accumulating nearly 30 years’ experience in the market research industry. In addition to Acumen Fieldwork, Julie was instrumental in the formation of a number of market research companies and sat for two consecutive terms on the Board of the AQR. Within the wider industry Julie has been recognised for her achievements, being awarded the Ginny Valentine Badge of Courage for her pioneering work on Acumonitor, in addition to being inducted as an MRS Fellow in recognition of all she has achieved.
Fieldwork Director
Gemma keeps herself busy with her three boys, filling her time with long walks at the weekend getting splashed with mud and carrying a scooter or two. Aside from that she balances a careful schedule of settling down with a good book or the latest reality TV show to relax to.
Gemma’s claim to fame? Both her and her friends once spent an evening in DJ Eric Prydz’s hilltop villa in Ibiza where he cooked them an evening meal and was a perfect host.
Fieldwork Director
Becki has worked at Acumen for as long as anyone can remember. Outside the office, Becki loves to spend time with her little boy and is to teaching him the key things in life…lie-ins are essential. In lieu of that, Gin and tonic makes most things better. LFC are the only team to follow and holidays abroad are a must!
Once found dancing into the early hours of indie bars Becki now tends to spend free time in soft play. Music (pre 2000!) however is still a huge passion of hers and each day she has those fingers crossed for an Oasis reunion (did she mention she has met Liam and Noel?!).
Healthcare Lead
Jordan is a key member of the healthcare team, providing senior level support across the department on a variety of projects and leading the team on a number of initiatives, such as increasing our database of healthcare participants. Jordan is always happy to lend his experience to clients during the early stages, scoping out phases of a new projects. This early involvement can really help to ensure the success of the project with clients getting the insights they need and participants feeling engaged and valued.
Qualitative and Quantitative Lead
Holly is fortunate enough to have the Peak District right on her doorstep and takes full advantage by spending her free time taking her dog Maverick on long treks around the countryside. No news on how Maverick feels about this but let’s assume he’s a happy chappy with Holly keeping him company.
Holly’s claim to fame is that she once had afternoon tea with Richard Hammond: Despite her drink of choice being a Cosmo. Guess you can’t have everything in life.
Qualitative Lead – B2B and Social Research
When she’s not leading the B2B and Social Research Team, Charlotte main hobby is her devotion to all the American reality TV shows – although we’re not entirely sure that counts as a hobby. She also a avid runner and devotes a lot of her time to that.
Charlotte’s biggest claim to fame was appearing on Good Morning Britain when Kumbuka the Gorilla escaped from his enclosure during Acumen’s Fieldwork conference at London Zoo. We’re just glad she put in all those training hours as a runner.
Qualitative Lead
Sam enjoys the simple things in life. If those simple things include a minimum of 3 trips to Italy each year – and we’re stressing the word minimum. The only thing which occupies more of her time is falling down a Youtube hole and losing hours of her evening – we’ve all been there!
When she’s not planning her next jaunt to Italy you can find Sam curled up with her cat watching Manchester City win.
Head of Finance
Amanda spends most of her free time touring the North West, standing either pitchside, courtside or at the track watching her kids playing their sports. When she isn’t operating as the family taxi service, Amanda likes to go running or for long country walks with her Schnoodle, Ralph.
Highlights of the year are the family ski trips although preferably without the shiner she got on the last holiday. She still hasn’t confessed whether it was something that happened on the slopes or at the Après ski.
Project & Accounts Administrator
James is a keen traveller and is always looking for the next tropical beach where he can soak up the rays with a good book. When he is in back in the comfort of his own home he’s an avid baker and team favourite when he brings his latest creations into the office for the team to enjoy.
You have to get in there fast though!
Recruitment Lead
Vic heads up our recruitment team. She’s one of the originals and has been here since fax machine were around. She’s seen every research subject matter possible come through the team at some point!
At home I’m a bit of a neat freak and spend far too much time looking at paint samples and moving cushions around my house – so much so that it’s become like the Golden Gate Bridge; by the time I’ve perfected the decoration of the rooms it’s time to start all over again.
Senior Project and Recruitment Manager
Al is kept fairly busy with his young family of two daughters, Etta and Wren. When they’re not keeping him on his toes he indulges his love of watching sports – especially when it comes to heading down to Twickenham to watch the Rugby International matches.
Back at home he can usually be found in the kitchen cooking up a storm for his friends and family.
Senior Recruitment Specialist
During her free time, you can often find Erin spending time with her friends and family; going out for meals or having parties at home.
She’s a huge lover of travel and have been on a big trip around the world with my other half, in addition to exploring new cities and countries. She likes to keep herself busy, but if she’s not out and about you will find her snuggled up on the sofa binge watching the Real Housewives!
Project and Recruitment Manager
Andy is a consummate sportsman. Not only was he a professional Rugby Player – which he now enjoys with as many trips to Twickenham as he can – but he showed his love of all sports prior to joining the company as a Senior School Leader in Physical Education.
Unsurprisingly this love of sports spills over into all aspects of his life as he claims his Mastermind specialist subject would be WWF wrestling from the 90’s.
Andy also has an impressive travelling resume, managing to visit 21 different countries in 2019. We’re still not clear if that was for pleasure or if he was on the run from Interpol.
Head of IT
Jon is our Head of IT and a King of Geekdom realm, His interests are not limited to computers, servers or even the network drive which keeps our business at its peak. He also holds an Amateur Radio license so he can talk to people all over the world – almost as if he’s never heard of Zoom – chatting about the weather and many of the other burning issues of the day, all from the shed at the bottom of his garden.
Jon is also a regular cyclist – whether that’s with his family or getting to and from work when the weather allows.
Recruitment Specialist
It would be fair to say that Alishia knows that variety is the spice of life. Hailing from Newcastle she relocated to Manchester to indulge her love of live music, gigs and festivals. When she’s not spending her time on the music scene she loves (her words) “old lady hobbies” such as reading, crocheting and curling up with her kitten Bea to watch history documentaries.
Project Manager
With a Bachelors degree in Politics and International Relations, and a Masters in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, Samuel knows about the importance of research. It’s something he’s passionate about and hopes to use it to one day pursue his interest in politics.
Outside of work, Samuel can regularly be found hitting Manchester’s famous Canal Street, often ending up in a Karaoke bar blasting out renditions of his favourite throwbacks from the 2000’s. Can he sing? He says not. Will that stop him? Not a chance!
Admin and Engagement Lead
Leanne heads up the Admin team and looks after all things company engagement and wellbeing. It is the perfect job for her as she gets to make people happy everyday whilst thinking of fun things for everyone to do; and she plans all the parties! This last task is probably the one she loves the most as she’s always the first on the dancefloor and at some point she will be leading a rendition of Proud Mary.
Leanne also fancies herself as a bit of a Mrs Hinch – but without the Social media followers. Her latest obsession is finding new places to explore on her weekend walks. If she hasn’t done a 4 mile walk on a Sunday then, she says, has it even been a Sunday?
Systems Development Manager
If you’re ever short of a good movie or a new TV series to get stuck into then Steve is full of recommendations. In addition to that he’ll happily talk your ear off about Manchester United, the latest tech/gadget he’s discovered or the best eateries to go for lunch in Manchester.
Above all else though, his main love is for his two daughters, Annabel and Autumn, both of whom keep Steve busy running around after them.
Project Manager
A self-confessed geek and not afraid to admit it; Richard has an encyclopaedic knowledge of everything related to Star Wars. He even offers people the chance to challenge him on his knowledge of The Force. But that’s not the complete picture of Richard as he’s also an accomplished chef – he even took those skills and worked at the 2012 Olympic Games which was a huge highlight of his career.
Richard also loves to spend time with his family, getting together every Friday night to play a variety of board games. Possibly Star Wars related?
Data Specialist
Dan is the data expert behind the work that Acumen’s quant team conduct. He supports the department by taking the raw data from our projects and uses it to create accessible reports for our clients. Dan is also responsible for scripting our online surveys and, thanks to his talent for programming, is also able to build bespoke software for research projects that go beyond what would otherwise be possible. Away from the office Dan is a keen wrestler and also practices Jiu Jitsu.
Account Manager
When Maria’s not at work you can almost certainly guarantee that you will find her at home with her family, kicking back and taking in the spectacle of some of her favourite Bollywood drama’s. All the costumes, the characters but most of all the melodrama.
And Maria is something of a an artist herself when it comes to make-up. She has a plethora of looks that she can create to rival any Bollywood superstar.
Senior Recruitment Specialist
Before joining the company Emily worked in the Manchester Hospitality Industry, so she’s always the one making cocktails at any work party – or any party in general.
A mother to a little boy who keeps her very busy, and an eclectic lover of music. You’ll most likely find her blasting out Pop Punk or singing Celine at the top of her lungs!
Emily’s idea of a dream holiday is filled with sun, great food and wine and good book!
Project Manager
Clare enjoys all of the variety that Manchester has to offer. She’s often spending her evenings with friends, going for drinks or dinner with all of her friends. When asked if she had any guilty pleasures she confessed to her love for both the Twilight saga of books and films – by her own admission she knows they’re terrible but somebody has to love them.
Clare’s favourite story to tell is that, while attending a Babyshambles gig, Pete Doherty’s mic accidentally hit her in the head, resulting in him jumping off the stage, mid-song, to check she was ok and give her a hug.
Senior Project & Recruitment Manager
Julia is a true crime devotee – but don’t worry her passion for this is strictly limited to Podcasts; of which she has a long list of recommendations for anyone and everyone within earshot. However, she is keen to point out that she balances out this love of true crime with the glitz of Rupaul’s Drag Race, the zen of Yoga, and the love of spoiling her pet cat.
Fun fact: Julia once appeared on the Esther Rantzen Show with Wolf from Gladiators.
Head of Compliance and Business Development
Liz loves spending time outdoors, drinking coffee and planning holidays. She is an avid reader and has clocked up 2 solid months of listening to audio books, mainly whilst speed walking through Manchester clocking up steps on her lunchbreak – undoubtedly fuelled by all the coffee.
Project & Recruitment Manager
It’s well-known in the office that Vicki is the person to speak to you if you have an interest in all things vintage. She’s an expert bargain hunter and always manages to find those hidden gems. She’s also a passionate vegan, tea drinker and red wine connoisseur – although not all at the same time.
Vicki keeps herself fit with pole dance fitness classes and keeps herself entertained with horror and sci-fi books and movies.
People and Administration Director
Laura is our Head of HR and is responsible for everything that involves the people who make the business what it is. She’s been instrumental in driving a number of initiatives which have helped to make Acumen the thriving business with a growing workforce. Outside of her role Laura is an avid fan of home renovation TV shows and has even completed some Grand Designs of her own in the form of a garden shed that’s been transformed into an outdoor sports bar – something which allows her to indulge in her second passion of entertaining family and friends.
Project Manager
As part of my BA in Human Geography I had the chance to spend a year Shanghai, China. Well, nearly a year… I was sent home because of COVID! But it also gave me the opportunity to travel the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia.
I enjoy drinking, dining and laughing with friends and playing a range of different sports; from Football and Golf to Sailing and Kayaking.
Senior Recruitment Specialist
Harriet is by her own admission a restless soul. Finding it hard to sit still for very long she fills her time away from work with the gym, partying the night away at events like the Warehouse Project and long heady weekends at festivals.
The big dream is to do much more travelling. Her favourite destinations so far include Barcelona and Singapore – but she’s already busy thinking about all the places she’d love to go over the next couple of years.
Recruitment Specialist
Holly has a pug called Ralph who she dotes on like a child. She’s also a lover of travel and her passion for it has taken her to some amazing places. She’s been fortunate over the years to visit Australia, New Zealand and Canada, to name a couple.
Holly is also social media addict. But you won’t find her idly scrolling through her feeds as Holly is a keen creator and counts it as one of her full time hobbies..
Project and Recruitment Manager
Elle enjoys everything that Manchester has to offer; whether that’s the cinema, bars or the many restaurants that goes to with her friends. Her favourite things for some relaxation are reading and watching movies, as well as catching up on whatever TV series she’s currently binge watching.
Of course none of that compares to perhaps the most important relationship in Elle’s life: Taylor Swift. Her love for this legend has put Elle in the top 33,000 listeners on Spotify which requires some serious man hours. For this dedication alone we all stand by Elle and her passion and anyone who’s not on the Taylor train… well, “Haters gonna hate”.
Quotation Specialist
Kelsey lives for her cat Olive whose name is borne of a great love of olives along with red wine. Thankfully she chose her love of olives as inspiration or her other love may have resulted in her having a cat named Shiraz.
But Kelsey’s interests don’t stop there. She’s into gigs, Harry Styles, disco and walks in the sunshine – a real rarity in Manchester.
However if you really want to understand Kelsey then you need to understand her mantra. She says, “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, only pleasures. I live by the words ‘do the best you can until you know better and when you know better, do better’”. A great philosophy to live by.
Project Manager
When George was growing up he was determined to become a pilot but discovering he was colour blind quickly put a stop to that career path. It may have been a blessing in disguise as he now has a fear of flying. However this fear hasn’t stopped him from travelling to some of the most beautiful places in the world.
He’s spent time travelling around South-East Asia, enjoying the cuisine and the beaches that even an Instagram filter couldn’t match.
Senior Recruitment Specialist
Ella calls herself the token Australian in the office, joining the company after her round the world travels were interrupted by the pandemic. Two years later and she’s made Manchester her home and loves the office chats almost as much as she loves the nightlife. She loves to travel, watch unhealthy amounts of reality TV and cook yummy meals for friends.
Senior Project Manager
The only thing more pampered in Maddy’s life are her two cats who moved with her to Manchester from Cambridgeshire so she could pursue her career in market research. When she’s not enjoying her Veggie Sunday Roast (all cooked by her boyfriend) she loves to enjoy all the restaurants and bars that Manchester has to offer.
Project and Recruitment Manager
Beth is a real enthusiast when it comes to home interiors. Whether that’s home makeovers on television, the jaw-dropping interior designs on Instagram or the dressing up of her own home, She’s also an incredible baker with a speciality for biscuits which look almost too good to eat. Almost. She’s also kept very busy with her boys who are the real heart of the home.
Project Manager
Jack is an out and proud nerd. He holds that mantle aloft with the joy he feels when the latest copy of National Geographic comes through the letterbox. He loves to read and usually manages to get through some of the Booker Prize shortlist and some history books each year.
Naturally he’s also a keen explorer, regularly going on camping trips, and travelling in general to tick cities, museums and wonderful places off his bucket list.
He’s also a fan of indie video games and old blues and rock and roll, which he indulges in when he’s not on the road.
Project Administrator
Danni’s main love is spending time with her daughters, husband and her cockerpoo Domino. Danni is also a bit handy when it comes to DIY and is as happy building something from scratch as she is hanging our friends and family – often being the last to leave the party.
Project Administrator
When Charlotte isn’t helping to support the various departments at Acumen on the Admin team, she loves to escape into anything that involves the supernatural, horror or ghost stories and is always looking for her next hit. So she welcomes any recommendations for Podcasts, movies or novels.
Just try to remember to grab her after 10am though, as she admits she is not a morning person.
IT Project Analyst
Simon has recently taken up a new hobby of electric longboarding. After seeing a video of it and being told that he was too old for something like that which, to him, was like having a gauntlet thrown down. One month later he had his first electric longboard and was riding off-road at 20mph.
He now goes for regular rides with friends in the Peak District or Wales but has ruled out any competitions saying that 20mph is probably enough for him.
Recruitment Specialist
Outside of the office Julz likes to spend as much time with her friends and family as possible. She loves travelling to new places both in the UK and abroad, especially for Caribbean Carnivals. She’s got two daughters who keep her on her toes and when she does finally get the chance to sit back and relax, you can find her learning about her latest hobby of Forex Trading.
Finance Manager
Bio pending
