IPA hires insight chief Turner as media research director

The IPA has hired Denise Turner – the CEO of the organisation which runs the UK’s out of home measurement scheme – as its new media research director.

Turner who has over 30 years’ experience in senior insight roles, succeeds Belinda Beeftink, who retired at the end of 2024.

In her IPA role, Turner will lead the TouchPoints project which has 75 industry subscribers and which publishes an annual survey of consumer media habits and a number of thought leadership events and publications.

Turner will also be the IPA industry representative on all the industry media research currencies – ABC, Barb, Jicmail, Jicpops, Jicreg, PAMCo, Rajar, Route and UKOM.

Having started her career as a media research assistant at BBH in 1991, Turner spent the next decade at Leo Burnett and Zenith before joining Havas Media, where she worked across a number of agencies in senior insight roles. In 2015, Turner joined Newsworks as director of research and insight, before switching to Route in 2022.

IPA director general Paul Bainsfair said: “As the tough economic climate continues, with companies’ purse strings ever tightened, being in touch with consumer trends is more vital than ever as is knowing what we can expect next.

“So we feel very fortunate to be welcoming Denise to the IPA senior management team. Her breadth of experience makes her perfectly placed to lead the IPA Media Research responsibilities which includes both TouchPoints and the industry’s research currencies.”

Turner added: “This role is a huge honour and privilege. People may not know this, but it has been carried out with great integrity by just three women in the last 50 years – Janet Mayhew, Lynne Robinson and Belinda.

“I am inspired by all of them. I truly believe that quality matters – whether for our world-class industry currencies, media research, advertising or content creation. I’m very excited to join the IPA team.”

TOPICS:data insight data-driven marketing measurement