New CEO for SAMRA

Prof. Adré Schreuder and Leonie Vorster

According to SAMRA chair, Prof Adré Schreuder, Vorster's in-depth knowledge and experience, passion and valuable contributions to the marketing research industry in general, and SAMRA in particular, will benefit the research industry as a whole.

"Research has a powerful voice and it is our intention that it is heard, loud and clear. It is at the forefront of accessing information, making sense of it, and ensuring optimal use of information, to benefit not only industry clients but also the public and broader society. In this context, it is a great honour to take on my new role at this exciting time. The position is not without its challenges, but I am eager and very excited to meet these challenges," says Vorster.

Ensuring value

She will be directing her efforts to promote professional research standards among all the stakeholders, encourage the public to participate in legitimate research and protect the public against unscrupulous researchers and those posing as researchers.

Ensuring value for SAMRA member organisations and individual members and the sustainability of the association are other objectives topping her list.

During her research career she successfully managed more than 370 research and research-based consulting projects, across all industries, for South African and international government, semi-government, private and not-for-profit clients.

History

Since 1992, Vorster has also presented guest lectures in research, including 'Methodology and Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis', at higher education level at four South African higher education institutions and has supervised post graduate research for Psychology and Management students at nine higher education institutions.

She has chaired various sessions at PsySSA Annual Congress since 2001, published and/or presented 40 papers since 1993 and reviewed South African Journal of Psychology articles since 2002, PsySSA Annual Congress papers since 2003 and SAMRA conference papers since 2007.

She has served SAMRA in the following capacities: as South African ESOMAR representative (since 2008), Code of Conduct Chair (2006-2009, and again since 2011), Council Subcommittee for Consumer Protection (since 2011), International Communications Chair (2008-2011), Immediate Past Chair (2008-2009). In 2009 and 2010, she managed the technical programme and content quality for the annual SAMRA conference.

Vorster obtained a Master's Degree in Research Psychology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and BA Honours (Psychology, cum laude) and BA (Communication Science) at the University of Johannesburg.