Brand Health International : People : Directors

Careers

Mike Owen, CEO

Photograph of Mike Owen Mike has over 25 years’ research experience in both consumer and pharmaceutical fields and is an authority in both global brand development, including much experience in new brand launches, and communications research. For 19 years he was Managing Director and Chairman of Context until becoming CEO of Brand Health International in 2005. He has written and presented at a range of healthcare conferences including:

1989 (BPMRG): Conference paper ‘Branding Drugs to meet the Generic Challenge’ with Jon Chandler
1990 (EphMRA): Workshop (Luxembourg) on International Brand Research with Catherine Ayland of Knoll Pharmaceuticals.
1993 (EphMRA): Workshop (Amsterdam) on Use of Consumer Approaches in Pharmaceutical Research with Jon Chandler.
1999 (EphMRA): Conference paper ‘International Brand Building Research’, with Ian Becattelli and Mike Pepp (then of Context).
2001(EphMRA): Workshop (Zurich) on International positioning (repeated in both 2002 and 2004)
2002(EphMRA): Workshop (Brussels) on International branding
2008(EphMRA): Workshop (Brussels) on Branding to win
2008 (MRS): One day Workshop (London) key note presentation on pharmaceutical branding with Giles Moss (Pharma brand logic)

He has also presented consumer/general research papers at many conferences including:

1986 (MRS): Award winning paper on Gaming Techniques with Jon Chandler.
1996 (AMIN Inaugural Conference - Singapore): Paper on Brand Development.
2005 (MRS): Paper on how to generate insights into future markets with Jon Chandler

In 2000 he was commissioned by SAGE (along with Jon Chandler also of BHI) to write an authoritative book on ‘Developing Brands through qualitative research’ which was published in 2002. The process of writing this book has led to the development of a range of research and analytic tools used in positioning and branding that are unique to BHI.

Jon Chandler, Managing Director – Creation

Photograph of Jon Chandler For many years Jon has been focused on issues of brand development and has contributed to the conceptualization and development of a number of key healthcare brands, particularly at an international and strategic level. With over 25 years research experience 20 of it within the healthcare arena Jon has made a fundamental contribution to the research and healthcare research world:

He has made an extensive contribution to the development of new research techniques and methodologies.
He has served for a number of years on the Professional Standards Committee of the Market Research Society and was one of the key drivers in redeveloping BHBIA research guideline for the 21st century.
He has written and presented a large number of publications both on general marketing research issues and specific healthcare research issues.
- 1986 (MRS): Award winning (Best Paper) paper on Gaming Techniques with Mike Owen of Context.
- 1998 (BPMRG): The Medic, the Brand, and the World of Health and Market Research.
- 2000 (MRI Pharma Conference): Superbranding: The Road to a Global View.
- 2002 (BPMRG): Brand Innovation and the Factors of Change.
- 2002 (International Journal of Market Research): Pharmaceuticals; The New Brand Arena.
- 2002 (Sage, London): Developing Brands with Qualitative Market Research. Book written as part of the Sage QMR series.
- 2005 (MRS conference): ‘Looking Backwards, Moving Forwards’ problems of prediction in Market Research.
- 2008 (BHBIA): ‘The Empathy Gene’, how empathy can change where we are going.

Jon’s boat is named ‘Tommy Finn’ after his two sons Thomas and Findlay. The arrival of Libby has created a dilemma!

Vicky McLellan, Head of Validation

Photograph of Peter Winters Vicky McLellan a graduate of History and English started her career in pharmaceutical market research career as a Research Executive in 1999 and now heads up the Validation team at BHI.

For the first part of her career Vicky worked across all aspects of market research, both qualitative and quantitative, gaining a broad range of research skills spanning across many therapy areas and covering all key markets worldwide. In more recent years Vicky has become more focused on quantitative research. Specialising in quantitative research has allowed Vicky to further extend her experience in using more complex advanced quantitative research methods such as conjoint, Max-Diff scaling and segmentation models.

Vicky’s particular passion is branding and communication research as it enables her to utilise her expertise with qualitative projective techniques within the remit of quantitative research. This allows an effective measurement and understanding of the rational behaviours and beliefs of healthcare professionals and patients as well as the emotional drivers.

Although Vicky is well acquainted with many different research methodologies, over the past few years she has almost exclusively used the internet as a research tool for conducting quantitative studies. The internet is particularly valuable when conducting branding and communication research. By asking the right questions in the right way and leveraging qualitative research techniques, the internet can be used as a means of measuring human behaviour and emotions providing more insightful and actionable findings.

During her time at BHI, Vicky has been involved in a wide variety of studies, from communication testing (such as logo testing, concept testing and detail aid testing) and product opportunity tests (both new opportunities and in licensing) to conjoint and segmentation studies.