Managing Director of the Year 2023 | 23 Best Business Insights MD 2023: Alaster Siddle Within the world of research and insights, a high degree of crossover and integration on projects is essential and Alaster believes that building a culture of support and shared responsibility is key to ensuring projects are delivered within the agreed timeline. The sharing of progress and insights obtained in the initial stages of a project internally, delivers a much higher degree of clarity within the intelligence phase of projects undertaken by UQ’s research faculties in both the US and UK. This culture is developed and refined for each project. However, the underlying theme being that in order to deliver the project along the way we need to consider each aspect as being of vital importance, and sharing this is key. “We often refer to the analogy within UQ of there being stages similar in research to those within a relay race,” he tells us. “UQ needs to continually practise the handing over of the baton to the next runner as to ensure everything allows for acceleration in the next phase. This skillset is challenged, reviewed, and improved with each project UQ completes!” Working and thriving in such a fast-paced and every-changing environment, like R&I, Alaster has noticed some trends emerging, namely those surrounding AI and machine learning. His opinion is that with AI technology becoming so powerful that data driven insights will become less relevant to the decision-making process within companies. The more the intelligence is validated through direct dialogue and not through the clever manipulation of data, the greater added value this will bring. “UQ plays such a small part, and thankfully flies under the radar, of the bigger hitters within the insights sector that our influence will deliberately remain minuscule,” he comments. “However, pound for pound, what UQ delivers for our clients enables it to punch well above its weight in terms of the role our insights and intelligence plays.” Recently, in recognition of his work within the sector and regarding the growth the firm has experienced with Alaster at the helm, he was named Best Business Insights MD 2023 in the Managing Director of the Year Awards. And the future ahead is looking rosy for UQ too. Part of the long-term plan for UQ has been, and will remain, to give younger people an opportunity to shine. To ensure the pathway to success is aligned, UQ works to a simple anthem that was shared with Alaster during a session led by the late Stephen Covey during one of his talks relating to the seven habits. “This anthem is that we need to ensure that everything UQ does “starts with the end in mind”! An ability to agree this, within the realms of insights and intelligence makes a huge difference to the depth of value delivered.” Contact Details Company: The Upper Quartile Group Ltd Contact: Paris Charnley Web Address: www.theupperquartile.co.uk
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