About Us

Meet the Team

What I do:

As a Founding Director, I am essentially involved in everything, both strategic and operational. I oversee design and delivery of all our research projects, write proposals and manage client relationships. I am passionate about supporting people develop, and I lead our training & development activities, as well as acting as a mentor for the Market Research Society (MRS) and the University of Leeds. 

Areas of specialism:

I specialise in all kinds of process, theory-based and impact evaluations, using bespoke methodologies and tools e.g., Theory of Change, Logic Model Framework and Social Return on Investment (SROI). 

I also work extensively in construction sector research, ranging from heritage and traditional trades through to offsite/ Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). 

The projects I lead are varied, and can range from bespoke strategy development, action planning, journey mapping and all types of qualitative and quantitative research, across a multitude of industry sectors. Working in a collaborative, flexible way that enables development of long-term relationships with clients is very important to me. 

I particularly enjoy qualitative research data gathering and analysis, taking a robust evidence-led approach to storytelling to present findings in a range of innovative and engaging formats for our clients. I work closely with clients to ensure research has impact and adds insight, notably through highly visual designed outputs including animation, dashboards and infographics.

What I do:

I’m involved in all aspects of the business from strategy to delivery. I lead research design, oversee project delivery and work closely and collaboratively with our clients. I relish the challenge of getting to grips with difficult questions and designing a research approach that will deliver results.

Areas of specialism:

My main area of specialism is in designing, developing and reviewing industry/professional standards and qualifications. I work closely with our clients leading all aspects of the development process from initial scoping, desk research, liaising with industry bodies and business, facilitating discussions and drafting technical content. I’ve worked across most industries – from construction, to digital, to financial services, to health - and get a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that our work is helping equip people with the skills they need.

I have almost 20 years’ experience of designing and delivering research of varying complexity for clients including government departments, government-funded bodies and local authorities. At any one time I will lead a varied portfolio of projects such as rapid evidence assessments, labour market studies and large-scale surveys. I love getting into the detail and I am regularly found poring over reams of literature or large datasets, whether those come from our own primary research or from secondary statistical sources. 

The bespoke nature of our work means that no two products are ever the same. I love the process of working with our team and the client when designing outputs, to ensure they are accessible and useable. 

What I do:

Alongside client work – from tendering through to delivery and resulting action planning, my role is to support Jennier and Clare to help Harlow Consulting get to the next level. That means looking at the processes, operations, and systems in place to ensure growth is sustainable, and scalable, while staying true to its values, mission, and reputation.

Areas of specialism:

Mixed methods research, quantitative research and data analysis and visualisation. I love discovering new methods of research, data analysis or reporting that can generate or communicate new and useful insights. 

Prior to Harlow, I have nearly a decade of experience in running large complex, multinational surveys in the Employee Research space. I’ve found the value of large surveys is significantly more when this data can be integrated with broader operational data, or with qualitive data gained through focus groups, depth interviews or ethnography. 

I’m motivated by the impact research can have on an organisation or society and am conscious of how research findings can be effectively communicated to various audiences to maximise their traction. 

I have worked across multiple sectors including Financial Services, Oil & Gas and Retail. 

Within Harlow and previous organisations, I am passionate about creating an environment to maximise both the personal success of individuals and the collective success of the team. I love problem solving and finding ways to develop empowering and motivating roles for individuals, while also maximising company success and efficiencies.

What I do:

As Finance Director, I am involved in both the shorter term tactical financial decisions and the longer term strategic direction of the business. I’m passionate about working with growing, ambitious businesses and supporting them in achieving their goals.

Areas of specialism:

I have nearly 20 years of technical and commercial finance experience across a diverse range of sectors. I get most satisfaction out of seeing how the advice and support I provide can quickly impact the team in understanding their performance, making decisions and feeling in control. I love to share my analysis and show how the financials are more than just numbers – they provide a really interesting insight into the performance of the business.

What I do:

As an Associate Director I work closely with Jennifer and Clare in most areas of the business, including writing proposals and designing research methodologies, managing the delivery of projects, liaising with clients, and developing our processes and protocols. 

Areas of specialism:

My main focus is synthesising and interpreting complex information to produce clear, actionable conclusions and recommendations. I have particular interests in work related to the construction and heritage sectors, drawing on my parallel career as an architectural historian and heritage consultant.   

More generally, I have over fifteen years of experience in social research methods, from initial desk research, through designing research instruments and analysing qualitative and quantitative data, to final reporting and presentation of findings. Particular strengths include conducting complex literature reviews, facilitating focus groups, depth interviewing, and report writing. 

I enjoy building close, collaborative relationships with clients to ensure that the projects I lead produce robust, relevant and intelligible results. 

What I do:

I work with the rest of the team at Harlow to conduct high-quality research, providing our clients with the insight they need to meet their objectives. This involves developing and managing client relationships, the design and delivery of complex projects, and helping our people to further develop their skills and abilities.

Areas of specialism:

I have over 15 years of experience conducting incisive social research in both private and public sector settings. This means I have a very well-rounded perspective of the research process from both the agency side and the client side.

Research that supports positive outcomes and destinations for young people is a particular passion of mine and I have spent much of my career conducting research with this group. More broadly, I work in the education, training and skills, and health sectors.

I’m a mixed-methods researcher and thrive on exploring complex issues in innovative ways. I also regularly evaluate programmes, policies, and partnerships, with a focus on producing actionable insight as a result. 

Thinking critically about data is one of my key strengths – going beyond the obvious to draw out deeper insights. I enjoy the challenge of taking large data sets and distilling them into a coherent narrative.

What I do:

In my role as Senior Researcher, I am part of Harlow Consulting’s evaluation and research projects from beginning to end. I work on all aspects of a project including - project management, creating bespoke methodologies, collecting and analysing data and writing final reports.

Areas of specialism:

As a mixed methods researcher and evaluator, I have a range of skills in both qualitative and quantitative methods. I’m especially skilled in, building collaborative evaluation frameworks, running participatory focus groups, designing surveys and analysing survey data, undertaking secondary data analysis and bringing together data from multiple sources to create a meaningful picture. 

I feel most satisfaction in my work when I am undertaking projects that are going to make a difference to organisations and people. I’m particularly interested in ensuring that research and evaluation methodologies and results are accessible and engaging. 

My specialist knowledge and interests lie within the evaluation of impacts and processes relating to grant funding, measuring the impact of preventative interventions, the livelihoods and wellbeing of musicians and artists and everyday music listening behaviours. 

What I do:

As a Senior Researcher, my job is essentially to identify, capture and interpret information (which can come in almost any shape and size) to answer our clients’ research questions. 

I play an active role in all elements of research design and delivery. This includes writing proposals, designing research methodologies, gathering and analysing data using a range of research methods and collating and presenting findings in high-quality, concise outputs. 

Areas of specialism:

I specialise in literature reviewing, evidence syntheses and quantitative analysis. I greatly enjoy the process of assimilating large quantities of information – both published documentary sources and raw primary data – to present a clear, concise picture. 

A clear, unbiased review of published evidence is a fundamental tool to enable our clients to make informed decisions. When reviewing literature, it is my responsibility to systematically gather all existing evidence relating to a topic, before extracting and integrating key findings and presenting them in a concise, accurate manner which serves our clients’ needs. 

I am also particularly interested in skills and workforce supply in the healthcare sector. I have built up a wealth of knowledge about the standards and regulatory frameworks that govern the education and training of healthcare professionals (especially nurses and midwives) both in the UK and internationally.

I am heavily involved in questionnaire design and statistical analysis of survey data, including both descriptive and inferential statistics. I enjoy refining my skills in using tools for complex quantitative analysis, including R.

What I do:

My role as a Senior Researcher is end-to-end, from writing proposals to constructing research methodologies through to analysis and report writing. I’m heavily involved in collecting primary data, using surveys, depth interviews and focus groups, plus I manage the Harlow telephone research team. I’m very much an ideas person, whether it’s a creative research methodology, a new question to ask or an imaginative way to display data, I love an innovative solution.

Areas of specialism:

My research career has involved work in areas as diverse as the agriculture, construction, engineering, fishing, heritage and security sectors, alongside many regional projects.

I particularly enjoy construction sector research and I have a keen interest in offsite Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) – a topic I’ve been involved in since 2012.

Much of my work is focused on skills, including identifying skills gaps and shortages, forecasting future skills needs and analysing training provision. A key part of my role is analysing qualitative and quantitative data, deriving the key facts which will have an impact, inform policy makers, or underpin commercial decision making.

What I do:

As an entry level role, I’m learning all there is to learn about research, and the different methodologies. My role includes supporting survey work, field work, and data collection, as well as shadowing the senior team members, to get a good overview of my career as a researcher.

Areas of specialism:

As a graduate of History, I have strong attention to detail, love reading, think critically, am curious, and love talking to people – all of which are great attributes for a career in research.

After graduating from the University of Warwick, I worked for two and a half years for the publisher, Cambridge University Press and Assessment, where I specialised in academic journals, working both in sales and editorial. I also learnt I really love creating, rather than selling! Research is a natural fit.

What I do:

My experience working for 15 years in law has proved invaluable to my role supporting the research team where high standards and professional delivery is all-important.

On a day-to-day basis, I provide support to the research team with a variety of tasks such as desk-based research, telephone interviews, proof-reading reports, process mapping and many more. 

Areas of specialism:

I have a particular interest in people and developing relationships, so carrying out telephone interviews and interacting with clients is both a strength and a passion. 

I regularly carry out desk-based research to support literature reviews or to provide background context for the wide range of research projects that we deliver. 

What I do:

Based in Australia, much of my work is desk-based research and qualitative analysis, focusing on distilling the salient information needed from a varied range of information points. My favourite part of my research work is getting stuck into report writing, finding a way to tell often complex stories in the simplest and clearest way. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing all the team’s hard work be pulled together for our clients.

Areas of specialism:

I have been involved in many topics throughout my research career, from heritage, healthcare, construction, and education & skills sectors. Of particular interest is the intersection of issues between construction and education, at any life stage.

What I do:

I turn data into interactive dashboards, build solutions in Excel to automate data manipulation and templates to help better manage and use business critical information - anything from dashboards to basic CRMs to time management tools and everything in between.

Areas of specialism:

Microsoft Excel. I'm a qualified accountant by background but an Excel geek at heart. I love to chat with people about what they need and then build something that works. My favourite phrase to hear from clients is 'I'm not sure this can be done' because I can almost guarantee it can, and taking that initial doubt through to a solution is what I enjoy most.