Our Team

We made the deliberate choice to hire highly experienced and strategic researchers with significant client side experience prior to joining Illumination. We fundamentally believe that having worked in our clients’ shoes makes us better able to anticipate and deliver their needs.
 

Our team is comprised of several key roles:

  • Account Management – our strategic Account Executives (AEs) and Account Managers (AMs) service our clients across their full range of needs and ensure all of their projects are executed with excellence.
  • Project Management – our very thorough and detail-oriented Project Directors (PDs) manage all of the logistics involved in setting up and executing your research.
  • Insights and Strategy – Our highly skilled Insight Strategists (ISs) execute a wide range of work to mine great customer insights and help you apply them to your business.   This role includes the moderation of customer interviews, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to create a compelling story about your customer, and the facilitation of ideation sessions with your team to create new ideas for growth.     

Upon enlisting Illumination’s help, a specific team is created to service your business.  The team members working on your projects will be matched to your business based on their expertise with your industry and type of work.

Principals

Account Management / Business Development Team:

Project Management Team:

Strategy & Insights Team (Moderators, Facilitators, and Research Consultants)

  • Heather Smith, Director, Video Bio
  • Laura Hoffman, Senior Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Kathy Leurck,  Senior Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Amy Spera, Senior Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Kelly Legault, Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Susan Raftery, Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Leslie Earls, Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Terry Mackillop, Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Maureen Talge, Insight Strategist, Video Bio
  • Carla Essen, Insight Strategist
  • Sarah Hagopian, Insight Strategist
  • Brooke Finck, Insight Strategist
  • Estrella Ho-Looney, Insight Strategist
  • Lynn Scherer, Research Consultant, Video Bio

Operations

  • Lori Lucas, Controller
  • Becky Wietmarschen, Office Administrator
Testimonials
“The moderator was great!! she did a very good job of handling the groups and ensuring that the conversations went in a direction that was both insightful and got us the information we needed to hear.”
--Kellogg's
“First & foremost, I was very, very pleased with the Illumination team!! The flexibility & reaction time that they displayed was awesome!!”
--Colgate