Melina Cao is a research consultant at NWC Opinion Research where she works with Craig Young, who is director of government and social research.

Melina Cao
My responsibilities include... day-to-day management of various ad-hoc qual projects and on-going monitors, reporting, analysis and client liaison.

What attracted me to the organisation I work for is... the friendly work environment, informal atmosphere and the variety of different projects that come up.

What I admire about Craig is... his attention to detail, his ability to draw out insights that others may have overlooked and, above all, his ability to crack a joke when you least expect it.

My greatest inspiration or mentor always told me... to keep things snappy and to the point.

My favourite research project... involved market testing of fridge doors - it was so different to what I'd done previously.

An ideal client is someone who... knows what they want and if not, is open to suggestions and willing to take direction.

My number one choice for pro bono work would be... the Red Cross, because they're good people and do good things.

If I wasn't a researcher I would be... working on a Pacific cruise ship or at a holiday resort.

If I was an animal, I would be a... dolphin swimming around in the Bahamas.

I can't live without... food and water, but I wouldn't want to live without my family, friends and of course my partner.

My favourite current TV show is... on the ABC because there's far too much CSI, NCIS and SVU on the other networks.

My favourite gadget is... my (soon to be acquired) Tom-Tom.

My pet hate is... having to navigate with a Melway's directory!

If I could change one thing about the research industry it would be ... the misconception that market research and telemarketing are the same thing.

If I won a million dollars I would ... love to travel around Europe, but think the money would be wiser spent paying off the mortgage and building a retirement nest egg.

In 20 years' time market and social research will... consist of more online research but won't replace traditional methods, such as CATI and in-depth interviews.

Craig Young
My responsibilities include... running the company's public sector research practice.

What attracted me to the organisation I work for is... the culture. That's what drives everything else - the people you work with, the quality of the work you do, the clients.

What I admire about Melina is... her ability to rise to any challenge, coolness under fire, her never say die attitude - honestly, you'd never guess she was Gen Y! Plus she sometimes laughs at my jokes, and she has great fashion sense ... terrible sense of direction though.

How I got into market/social research is... happy happenstance.

My greatest inspiration or mentor always told me... a man survives thanks to his integrity; if he survives without it, it's sheer luck.

The advice I would give someone starting in social or market research is... diversify your experience early, focus on long term career objectives, embrace your mistakes, don't be afraid to voice an alternative point of view, and dance like no-one can see you... Seriously, and most importantly, don't forget to pace yourself so you don't burn out, because research can use up a lot of mental horsepower.

In my job, I get the biggest buzz when... we win a complex study against a strong field.

My favourite research project... when I was based in Hong Kong we did some branding research for BBC radio that took me to Moscow (on an Aeroflot flight!), rural India, Madras and London on the one trip.  

An ideal client is someone who... has an open mind and an open chequebook.

A brilliant researcher has... not been born that does not have a trail of flawed research designs, poorly constructed questionnaires, woefully inaccurate costings and mismanaged projects behind them - you always learn most from your mistakes.

My number one choice for pro bono work would be... definitely the Zimbabwean Government - they need a customer sat survey with some key driver analysis pronto!  Failing that, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, where my wife works.

If I wasn't a researcher I would be... a very sad investment banker, dreaming wistfully of being a researcher.

If I was an animal, I would be a... koala - snuggled in the crook of a tree, slowly munching on a gum leaf with the sun shining on my expansive forehead - ahhhh.

I can't live without.... my morning coffee, my glamorous wife and my two year old son's impression of a ferocious lion.

My favourite gadget is... a clean sheet of paper and a good pen.

My pet hate is... the inexorable rise of the procurement specialist. Research eAuctions - is there a more ghastly creation on God's earth?

If I could change one thing about the research industry it would be ... you mean apart from eAuctions and the commoditisation of research?  It would be our industry's collective inferiority complex - I think we are all blessed to be working in one of the most interesting industries ever to be brought into existence.

The one thing I want to be remembered for is ... maintaining my integrity to the very end.

If I won a million dollars I would ... buy more time.

In 20 years' time market and social research will... still be the best gig in town!

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