IAB Europe are pleased to announced the Judging Panel for the Research Awards

IAB Europe are pleased to announce the Judging Panel for the IAB Europe Research Awards 2011, sponsored by Lightspeed Research. For further information about the awards please visit the Interact Congress 2011 site here.

The judges for the Awards include Roy Patel - Vice President, Lightspeed Research,  Fay Miller – Marketing Manager Adconion, Patrick Marck – General Manager IAB Belgium, James Smythe, Managing Director, Culture of Insight, Laurence Bird, previously of IAB UK and CNN and Scott Thompson - Digital Research Manager, Starcom MediaVest Group.

Roy Patel, Vice President, Lightspeed Research

As Vice-President of Online and Digital Research at Lightspeed Research since January 2010, Roy is responsible for commercial activities and panel based digital research opportunities. This includes the commercial roll out of Radius, a passive panel-based web behavioural solution. A proud online industry veteran, he initially worked for Internet Audience Measurement firm Media Metrix in 2000 as Head of European Sales and then at Nielsen//NetRatings. In 2005 he set up the UK operations of MetrixLab, a full service online market research agency that specialises in Media, Website and NPD consumer insights with a brief to grow UK business into a multi million unit. Before he joined the market research industry Roy spent 11 years working in the city for global financial information and investment data provider Extel Financial, owned by the Financial Times.

James Smythe, Managing Director, Culture of Insight

James says that after learning the research tricks of media owners, media agencies and research companies, he had accumulated enough cunning to set up his own research outsourcing company in 2009. Culture of Insight takes on research strategy and management from media companies with restricted budgets that want to maintain or grow the value they get from research. James oversees UKOM on behalf of the AOP and IAB, and also consults for companies including MediaTel.

Patrick Marck, General Manager, IAB Belgium

Patrick has been leading the Belgian IAB for three years, focusing on the three main objectives of the organization: to regulate, inspire and educate the digital market. In Belgium, as across the whole IAB network, breaking research plays a vital role in inspiring its members. Prior to working at the Belgian IAB, Patrick launched the Belgian e-commerce Association and worked at the Belgian Direct Marketing Association.

Fay Miller, Marketing Manager, Adconion

Fay has worked for Adconion since 2009, working with the Global Marketing team and moving onto the UK Marketing team in 2010. She has 10 years' experience in the media industry, having worked as Strategic Planning Manager at Mirror Group Newspapers, Publishing Project Manager at IPC Publishing, Account Manager on the Boots account with Redwood Publishing (Omnicom) and as Marketing Manager for Haymarket Exhibitions. Fay has held research remits in all her roles and is an active and valued member of the IAB Europe Research Council.

Laurence Bird, Research, Marketing & Strategy Consultant

Laurence has 15 years' experience in the media, entertainment and technology sectors. She currently works as a consultant for a variety of clients on research, strategy and consulting. Until recently she was Digital Research Director at Time Warner-owned CNN International where she led the digital research programme for CNN International globally. Previously, Laurence was Vice-President at IAB Europe and Head of Planning & Research at IAB UK. Before this, she held several positions at The Walt Disney Company where she was involved in global initiatives focusing on the company's brand management and strategic planning. She also played a crucial role in setting up and developing the Pan-European Research department of Disney-owned Fox Kids.

Scott Thompson, Digital Research Manager, SMV Group

Scott has been working in the Starcom MediaVest Group Research team since 2007, where he has been involved with the Emerging Spaces Research and Thought Leadership programme, which looks at new media spaces that technology is opening up, and the impact that this has on consumer behaviour and the opportunities they create for advertisers.

This has included primary research projects looking at internet TV, mobile internet and gaming, and writing viewpoints around new media and communication technologies.

He is also involved in the development of new digital tools for planning and buying of digital media, working on digital strategies for clients, and the digital elements of SMG and VivaKi Learning and Development programme.