Victoria McKeegan was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. After working in a dairy, she left New Zealand to be a media planner in Australia’s largest ad agency before coming to London to join BMP Planning. She moved on to Fusion Research before launching Out Standing in the Field, in the midst of recession, to make it one of the most successful fieldwork companies of its day. She has since developed her qualitative research expertise at Gabriel Ashworth, then Drummond Madell – from where she joins Different River. Vikki is also a qualified bereavement counsellor and a well known astrologer who makes regular radio appearances. She has full MRS membership.

Josephine Shaw left Leeds University with a First Class degree in History and Politics and started her career in advertising, initially in Account Management at Ogilvy & Mather - becoming the agency's youngest ever Account Director at the time. She then moved into Account Planning and on to Lowe Howard-Spink, then Leo Burnett where she was on the Board. In 1995 she co-founded Shaw Research and Planning which later became Beagle Research, a highly successful qualitative research and creative thinking consultancy. As well as being a widely respected researcher, Jo is a skilled and qualified facilitator who has trained in both the UK and US - and a full member of the MRS. Jo loves writing, taking photographs, and being with her children.