“We can’t just be market researchers—we need to be growth leaders.”
In a recent episode of the Insights and Innovators podcast, Pam Forbus, Senior Vice President and Global Chief of Insights and Analytics at Mondelēz International, shared her perspectives on elevating the role of insights within an organization. With a rich career spanning both agency and client-side roles, including time as a CMO, Pam’s experience offers a unique lens on how data-driven decision-making can influence corporate strategy. Here are five key questions and answers from the conversation, edited for brevity and clarity, that provide valuable lessons for insights professionals striving to make an impact.
1. Can you share an example of an insight that had a major impact on business strategy?
One example that stands out is from my time at Frito-Lay, where we were working on the company’s strategic plan. We had new data about consumer demand and foresight work that showed where the market was headed. This led us to facilitate the strategy planning process and build a business case for increasing small bag capacity in our plants.
Operations had been trying to secure this investment for years but couldn’t make a compelling business case. However, because we had clear foresight on demand trends, we were able to make that case successfully. If you look at the market today, there are dozens of multi-pack options for Frito-Lay products, and it’s now a multi-billion-dollar business. That’s one of the biggest impacts I’ve seen insights have—helping drive a critical operational shift that reshaped the business.
2. Why do insights functions often sit several layers below the CEO, and what can be done about it?
I’m not exactly sure why this happened, but I was discussing it with Ed Keller, and he reminded me that, when market research was first emerging as a discipline, insights professionals worked directly with CEOs. Over time, as companies built larger marketing departments and other corporate functions expanded, insights didn’t keep pace in terms of stature and influence.
That got me thinking—if we’re not at the table where the big questions are being asked, what questions are we answering? Often, they’re tactical ones. If insights teams sit multiple layers below the CEO, they may be working with junior managers and providing answers that don’t align with the most critical business decisions. If we want to be growth leaders, we have to focus on influencing the biggest levers of growth, not just answering small, disconnected research questions.
“It’s also crucial to shift from thinking of our job as just producing insights. The real goal is to change behaviors and influence decisions inside the company. That means knowing how to tailor your communication depending on your audience—how you present to a CFO should be different from how you engage a CMO or sales leader. If you can build trust and credibility across different functions, you’ll be far more effective in driving impact.”
– Pam Forbus, Mondelēz International
3. What skills should insights professionals develop to become business leaders?
One of the most important skills is understanding organizational behavior and company dynamics. There’s a book I recommend called Survival of the Savvy, which focuses on high-integrity organizational politics. Politics might sound like a dirty word, but the reality is, they exist in every company. If you don’t understand how decisions get made and who influences them, you risk being overlooked, no matter how great your work is.
I’ve seen that insights professionals, in particular, tend to be underpolitical. Many of us love the work itself and believe that if we do great research, our value will be recognized. But that’s not how promotions or influence work. Career conversations about you are happening when you’re not in the room, and those discussions aren’t about your technical skills—they’re about leadership, influence, and whether you’re ready to take on bigger responsibilities.
It’s also crucial to shift from thinking of our job as just producing insights. The real goal is to change behaviors and influence decisions inside the company. That means knowing how to tailor your communication depending on your audience—how you present to a CFO should be different from how you engage a CMO or sales leader. If you can build trust and credibility across different functions, you’ll be far more effective in driving impact.
4. What advice would you give to early-career insights professionals?
For those starting on the client side, I always emphasize that performance and excellence in your job are table stakes. You have to be great at your core function, but to stand out, you also need to go beyond your job description. The most valuable professionals are the ones who bring new thinking and new ideas to the table.
I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I look at trends in industries outside of my own—fashion, music, retail—to connect dots and bring fresh perspectives. If you can make those connections and introduce new ideas that spark innovation, you become a highly valued partner within your organization.
For those starting on the research agency side, the key is to become a trusted advisor, not just a vendor. Many suppliers focus on systematizing and automating their offerings, which is important, but the most successful ones also find ways to solve unique, complex problems for their clients. The best partners I’ve had over the years aren’t just fulfilling RFPs—they’re proactively bringing business solutions and helping us think differently. That’s how you build long-term, strategic relationships.
5. What is the biggest opportunity—and the biggest threat—to the insights industry today?
The biggest opportunity for insights is to shift from delivering research to driving business decisions. Too often, insights functions focus on executing projects and reporting results, but the real value comes from ensuring insights lead to action. I always tell my teams that their job isn’t to produce research—it’s to change behaviors and influence decisions.
The biggest threat is the rise of “shadow insights” teams within finance, IT, and strategy functions. These groups are popping up because there’s an unmet need for data-driven decision-making. If the traditional insights function doesn’t address the most pressing business questions, someone else will. That’s why we need to be intentional about aligning with the most critical strategic priorities of the business. If we only serve brand marketing, we risk being sidelined while other functions take on the high-impact work.
Final Thoughts
Insights professionals have a tremendous opportunity to shape the future of business decision-making, but it requires a mindset shift. We can’t just be market researchers—we need to be growth leaders. That means speaking the language of the C-suite, influencing the biggest strategic decisions, and ensuring our work is directly tied to business impact. If we do that, we won’t have to fight for a seat at the table—we’ll be invited to it.
For more insights from Pam Forbus, listen to the full episode of the MRII Insights and Innovators podcast or visit mrii.org.
