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Besides managing the company, Peter’s role in Plus Four remains very much as hands-on as it has been since he founded the company 50+ years ago. He personally moderates groups, and manages research projects throughout the UK, Europe and Worldwide.
Peter has steered the company through 23,000+ research projects, both qualitative and quantitative, He is renowned for his excellent ‘real world’ advice and for taking on the more ‘challenging’ projects both in the private sector, across a wide range of industries, and the public sector.
Peter is a member of the MRS, ESOMAR, AQR and IOD.
Peter Allan Managing Director
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Super-skill:
Frank ‘real world’ advice based on his extensive experience, Peter can tell you exactly what can be achieved within the limitations of time and budgets and how to get the most from your research. He also has a reputation for taking on and succeeding with the projects that others shy away from!
Passions & Interests:
Sports – watching and playing! A keen korfball enthusiast and past Chairman of the British Korfball Association, an ardent West Ham United follower (home & away!) and a global marathon runner (London, Athens, New York)... ‘If my knee hadn’t given up I’d still be running them!’
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Nelson Mandela… a man whose courage changed the world. I was fortunate enough to be at the World Cup final in South Africa when he entered the stadium to appropriate acclaim
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Muhammad Ali… charisma personified. I saw him going up the steps outside the old Wembley Stadium when he turned and waved to those of us in Wembley Way acknowledging his presence…a crescendo of sound and hero worship
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Bobby Moore… a key person in the history of West Ham Football Club and the World Cup winning captain. I was lucky enough to see him play on many occasions
Desert Island Luxury Item:
Binoculars to enjoy the wild life….and to keep an eye out for the ship coming to rescue me!
Barbara Pollard Finance Director
Barbara has been with Plus Four for more than 30 years, and in the position of Finance Director for around 25 years. As well as keeping a sharp eye on budgets and performance she also oversees the HR operation for all the divisions of Plus Four. Her role is a pivotal one within the company encompassing all areas of the business. Barbara ensures that everything (from budgets to birthday cakes) runs seamlessly at Plus Four.
Super-skill:
Being the ultimate ‘go-to’ person. Her experience means that no matter how complicated the question she always has the answer - or will get it!
Passions & Interests:
Grandchildren, gardening, reading, theatre, dining out ... wouldn’t turn down an invitation to play golf in Barbados if someone was offering!
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Sheila Hancock... for her survivor spirit and knowledge of theatre and the arts
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Alan Carr... rude but hilarious
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John Lennon... romantic rebel with controversial ideas and a sense of humour
Desert Island Luxury Item:
Perfume. Perfume every time… must be expensive & preferably Dior! (editor: we feel that a few of our colleagues are not serious about escaping the island!)
After gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in International Marketing Management and Spanish, Cara spent 4 years working in marketing across a variety of industries where she gained first-hand experience in advertising, branding, product/service development and other marketing communications.
Cara initially began working with Plus Four on a temporary basis, managing The Phone Unit and projects within The Field Division. She joined Plus Four permanently in 2005 as a Research Executive and was at first trained to conduct depth interviews and later to moderate focus groups in The Qualitative Lab: she has now been moderating for 15+ years, and has since progressed through the ranks to Director.
Cara is a member of the MRS and AQR and is known for bringing solutions to complex requirements ... she manages multi-country and mixed methodology projects (quant and qual, offline and online) as well as moderating and presenting insights to high-level audiences.
Cara Allan Director
Super-skill:
A moderating marvel... combined with a lightning speed puzzle-solving brain... Cara can work out how to overcome the most complicated of research logistics.
Passions & Interests:
Travel (lived and worked in Spain and Mexico, backpacked around South America and Australasia), Korfball (playing as well as running the youth section: aged 6-16), and trying anything new – from immersive theatre to Dans le Noir (...we believe this means dining in the dark?!)
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Louisa May Alcott... to see if she envisaged life for women to be as it is now when she penned ‘Little Women’
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Elton John... in the hope he would turn the evening into a full-scale ‘White Tie & Tiara’ Ball
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Ant & Dec... for the giggles
Desert Island Luxury Item:
A towel. As described in ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’; ‘you can wrap it around you for warmth... you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches... you can sleep under it beneath the stars...use it to sail a mini raft... wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat...wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes... wave it in emergencies as a distress signal... and of course dry yourself off with it’
Chris Melotte Field Manager
Chris joined the Plus Four family in 2004 in The Field Division, working with the team to co-ordinate Plus Four’s UK nationwide field force of 26 Supervisors and over 700 interviewers to complete fieldwork and recruitment projects on behalf of Plus Four and other agencies. Chris left Plus Four in 2008 and gained further experience at a number of leading agencies, before returning to the fold in 2014, now as Field Manager.
Super-skill:
Pulling off seemingly impossible projects! With the help of his field experience and our field team, he has the ability to make light work of even the most challenging of briefs and shortest of timescales... but he likes the easier projects too!
Passions & Interests:
Huge love and passion of films, television and music, exploring London. Going to the gym and playing football... ‘when the body and soul can take it!’
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Kenneth Williams... his brilliant story telling will keep us entertained
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Frank Sinatra... for the musical entertainment
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Marilyn Monroe... need you ask why?!
Desert Island Luxury Item:
A television ‘hopefully I can pick up the channels!’ (.editor: never mind the channels, we assume Chris can create his own electricity?)
Danique was first introduced to the world of research whilst studying for a BA in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham. Since graduating she has gained experience in a variety of sectors within the Market Research industry - from Data Entry to Telephone Interviewer and Panel Executive. Danique first became part of the Plus Four family in 2018, assisting with field work and Qualitative projects at The Qualitative Lab, joining permanently in 2022 as Senior Field Executive.
Danique Cyrus-Thomas Senior Field Executive
Super-skill:
Boundless energy and enthusiasm to keep people engaged with research, a super-sense for spotting discrepancies and a ‘can’t be taught’ intuition for finding the most suitable people to participate in a particular project.
Passions & Interests:
A huge fan of F1, musical theatre, live music, and an unashamed lover of reality TV who has recently taken up kickboxing (so we’re not making any comments about the love of reality TV!)
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Haruki Murakami- extraordinary storyteller with great music taste
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Bob Mortimer- He never fails to make me laugh
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Dolly Parton- so many incredible songs, outfits and wigs and all-round wonderful person
Desert Island Luxury Item:
A nice pair of sunglasses (ever the optimist Danique is assuming it will be sunny on this island!) ‘Plus I want to look stylish when I’m rescued’
Kevin’s love for the data side of market research was ignited 40+ years ago when, as a fresh-faced school leaver he began working in Broadcasting Audience Research, analysing data from Daily Street Surveys conducted by the BBC. Since then he has worked from ‘the bottom up’ in data processing roles within the market research industry and heading up his own data processing company for nearly 30 years, before joining Plus Four as Manager of The Analysis Solution. Having worked with many forms of DP software over the years, Kevin’s current areas of expertise are QPS-CL, SPSS and SNAP.
Kevin Topson Manager, 'The Analysis Solution'
Super-skill:
Mono-vision! The ability to see only in black and white… there are no grey areas in Kevin’s world, his super-skill lies in his ability to fight through the grey and separate the data to find the black and white facts (Editors Comment: It’s a good job our Qual researchers are equally great with the grey!) Kevin has a passion for problem-solving, 40+ years of daily data dealings mean that he has ‘pretty much seen every scenario’ and can see the root cause of any discrepancy in the time it takes to open a data table!
Passions & Interests:
Grass roots football (being heavily involved in the running of a local children/youth football club that has 54 teams and 600 players is like a second job!), playing golf, supporting
Norwich City and eating Salt & Vinegar Crisps!
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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My Grandparents – they died when I was young, so I would love to meet them as an adult and hear the great stories they had to tell from their life as hoteliers
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Lady Ga Ga – I just find her fascinating!
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Rob Beckett – to bring the laughs
Desert Island Luxury Item:
Salt & Vinegar Crisps (see passions and interests!) ‘I just love Salt & Vinegar crisps – I could just sit and eat them forever’ (Editors comment: We don’t think Kevin has given much thought to hydration or the fending off scurvy whilst on this island!)
Chantel D'Souza Senior Data Processing Executive
After completing a BSc in Physics and a certification in programming, Chantel joined the world of Data Processing back in 2001, and has spent her whole career within the Market research Industry. She has progressed through the last 2 decades, honing her skills working with powerful software such as Quantum, Merlin, SPSS and now QPS. Tracking studies are her strength and she has cracked some tough ones through the years!
Super-skill:
Playing with numbers (well not just playing – eating, sleeping, dreaming and working with numbers too!). She is always ready to take on challenging projects and find ways to polish the tricky bits!
Passions & Interests:
My two lovely children (leaving me almost no time to pursue fun stuff!)… however, lockdown has given me time to try out my skills at cooking, sewing, instagram and yoga! And of course …travelling with the family, can’t wait to get back on that plane!
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Jamie Oliver – got to taste some of his finger-licking dishes
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Michelle Obama – for all that she’s achieved as a working-mum to first lady to author
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Julia Roberts – I adore her movies
Desert Island Luxury Item:
Netflix and ice-cream
Keeley Ayling Data Processing Executive & Research Team Support
The skilled data entry team at Plus Four has been operating under Keeley’s close supervision since she joined the company in 2002. The fact that all of the data entered by Plus Four is 100% verified means that her job is not an easy one. Keeley’s ability to make sure she and her team combine increasingly tight deadlines with accuracy means that Plus Four maintains its reputation for producing high-quality data. Keeley also provides invaluable support to the Data Processing Team, in particular in the initial stage/set-up of a project. Over the past few years Keeley has broadened her role significantly to support The Field Division and Plus4's Researchers both administratively and with oversight of telephone surveys and postal mailings.
Super-skill:
Being able to accurately input data whilst having a conversation with her team about the next project... honestly it’s superhuman the way her fingers move so fast... they are a blur!
Passions & Interests:
Keeping fit with Zumba, watching TV soaps, helping to run a boxing club and travelling the country to watch her son compete.
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Floyd Mayweather... in the hope that he’ll take my son back to America with him!
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Alan Carr... for the giggles
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Danny Dyer... just because...
Desert Island Luxury Item:
Handcream. I just hate the feeling of dry hands!
Paula Perez Business Development and Marketing, & Manager at 'The Qualitative Lab
Paula came to Plus Four in 2008, after a successful 15-year career in the local press/media advertising, including Advertising Sales & Design, Account Management, Media Sales Team Management to a senior level, and latterly Managing Recruitment/Career Development & Training. At Plus Four Paula's expertise has been transferred into marketing and business development for the Plus Four divisions, as well as Managing our viewing facility 'The Qualitative Lab'. in Wimbledon, London
Super-skill:
Capacity for constant communication! Talking, writing, visualising… by e-mail, telephone, digital media or face to face... she really doesn’t mind how! (…chances are that if you’re reading this then she’s already reached you!)
Passions & Interest:
Calligraphy, theatre, cinema. reading and parkrun - a dedicated 'back of the pack plodder' every Saturday morning in my local park - and proud of it, but enjoy the chatting and laughter over the post-run coffee even more! My 'running repertoire' sometimes extends to 10K's - but never more than 10 miles ( I and my constantly complaining feet have no desire to run further - no matter how many times I'm told 'a half marathon is only a parkrun more!) Volunteering at Junior parkrun on a Sunday morning, enjoying the energy and excitement of the little ones., from the budding Mo Farrah's to those clad in unicorn wellies - it's a wondrous thing! Finally spending time with family & friends.... and if Prosecco is is involved.... well that's even better!
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Elvis Presley.. to serenade us with the soundtrack to my childhood - and to hear his take on exactly what it was like to live his crazy life
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David Attenborough.... for the unparalled knowledge about our planet, the creatures in it and what we can do to save it!
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Oprah Winfrey... as strong woman who has triumphed over adversity and kept a sense of humour, plus she could keep the conversation going with stories of those she’s interviewed and let us into the secrets of her financial success
Desert Island Luxury Item:
My enormous white fluffy towelling dressing gown... all the uses of a towel (tent, sun canopy, dry with it, lay on it, wave it around, wind shelter), but with sleeves and a hood for protection and ‘wrap-me-up’ comfort. The belt could be useful too and did I mention that it has two big pockets in which I always keep a picture of my family, penknife, water purifying tablets, a mirror (for signals & fire - not vanity of course!) matches, sun cream, i-pod and kindle with solar chargers, and... I’ve over thought this haven’t I?!
Denise Hodgson Accounts Manager
Starting initially in The Field Division, Denise has been with Plus Four for 35+ years, and as Accounts Manager she has been making sure the books balance for the whole company for over 30 years. This requires extreme organisation and efficiency which is why Denise is so good at it!
Super-skill:
Sensing an accounts discrepancy from 100 paces and having a desk so tidy that mere mortals can only dream that maybe one day they too will have one like it!
Passions & Interests:
Theatre, Girls Brigade, Church, Holidays, Grandchildren... and combining as many of these together as often as possible!
Fantasy Dinner guests:
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Cliff Richard... I have liked him and his music since I was a teenager and still go to all of his concerts!
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Joe McElderry... a nice bloke - I liked watching him on X-Factor and bought his first album
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Kate Middleton...I admire her as a person, her dress sense - everything
Desert Island Luxury Item:
Soap and shampoo… must keep clean and tidy!