Our fearless leader Chris has over two decades of insights and innovation experience where he has helped countless FMCG brands create better products through his fresh thinking. Full of drive and good humour, Chris is crazy about continuous improvement and always finds a way to evolve traditional innovation practices to deliver a better experience.

Outside of PLAY, Chris has two daughters (with another on the way) and loves spending his time in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, finding new places on land and water to explore with them.

Becky has over 18 years of experience in insights & innovation both here in Australia and the UK. She is passionate about all types of innovation from strategic planning to later stage tactical work. She’s also deeply passionate about getting under the skin of her clients to understand their challenges and use the consumer perspective to help their business grow.

When she isn’t busy playing at work, she is playing with her toddler Holly, stretching her legs on a hike or a bike, or devouring a delicious feast.

Helen has 17 years research experience, specialising in FMCG and sensory research. Helen has built a strong career delivering to blue chip FMCG companies across Australia –helping guide new product development from idea screening, to concept, through to pack and (specifically) product refinement to deliver successful research outcomes. She was a finalist in the AMSRS Research Effectiveness Awards for ‘Commercial Excellence’ for her product segmentation work which identified a new product category. It resulted in growing the ‘first mover’ brand by 21% overnight! Helen loves that she gets to eat ice cream and drink at work….all in the name of research!

Emma brings extensive senior-level agency experience from working on projects across the Asia Pacific, Europe, the U.S. and the UK (one of her former homes!). She specialises in FMCG and retail insights and consultancy and has conducted work in NPD, innovation and shopper understanding for over 13 years.

Emma loves using the latest techniques and is willing to give anything a go (as long as it makes sense for the problem at hand!). She has a passion for helping clients launch products that work in-market.

Taryn brings 14 years of research experience to the team and has a wealth of multi-national insights experience across a range of categories — literally from banks to booze! She loves helping clients with early-stage idea and concept development and gets a buzz from seeing the results of her work put into practice.

Originally from Cape Town and a through-and-through saltwater girl, she was attracted to the Northern Beaches and the outdoorsy lifestyle. When she’s not in the office, you'll usually find her catching waves in her surf ski!

Adelaide is a ‘newbie’ in the world of innovation and FMCG — starting her journey as a graduate at PLAY, learning all the ins and outs of the industry from our senior PLAYers. With a creative flair for making beautiful, fun and PLAYful presentations and designs, Adelaide takes pride in supporting the team through all aspects of project work.

Michael is PLAY’s Fieldwork Manager and our resident Head of First Impressions. With an eye for detail and a nose for sensory, he keeps our CLT running smoothly with his extensive experience in VIP event planning, hospitality and project management.

Outside of PLAY, you can find him sharpening his putting skills on the golf course. Between us, we’ve heard he does a very good Happy Gilmore impression!

Carla started her career in consumer insights seven years ago working with multinational research agencies. She built her expertise in customer satisfaction, mystery shopping and U&As in industries such as FMCG, automotive and retail.

Carla loves talking to people and learning the ins and outs of the consumer journey. Sharing her discoveries with clients gives her a sense of purpose and joy.