MRII is pleased to spotlight the winner of the MRII Emerging Markets Award in the LATAM region: Mario Martin Torrez Callisaya, a Data Scientist from Bolivia. His ability to turn complex spatial and survey data into clear, actionable intelligence earned him this year’s recognition, along with two free Principles Express courses from MRII and University of Georgia to continue advancing his analytical craft.
The MRII 2025 Emerging Markets Award, presented in partnership with the University of Georgia and ESOMAR and sponsored by our partner OvationMR, celebrates the dedication and achievements of its recipients, showcasing their potential to shape the future of market research.
Please tell us about your experiences to date in market research. How you got started, what do you value most about this profession, and anything you’ve accomplished to date that you are proud of and wish for us to know about you.
I began my journey in market research during my time at Captura Consulting, where I worked on quantitative projects for clients in telecommunications, retail, and real estate. I developed survey-based models to infer socioeconomic levels using clustering techniques and PCA, and conducted semantic analysis on open responses using NLP. What I value most about market research is its power to uncover social patterns and guide decisions that affect real lives. One of my proudest achievements was designing a methodology that inferred household income levels using only survey data and location intelligence, which was later adopted in Paraguay. My current work at Ciudata builds on this, where I integrate POI data, demographics, and spatial analytics to support business and policy decisions. These experiences have taught me to approach research not only as an analytical exercise, but as a tool for inclusion, impact, and equitable planning.
How do you believe this award will enable you to improve your skills, advance your career and allow you to have greater professional impact?
The course on Advanced Analytics will strengthen my ability to deliver robust, scalable insights in complex market and social environments. While I already apply data science and geospatial methods in real-world projects, this training will deepen my understanding of cutting-edge statistical tools and frameworks for market segmentation, predictive modeling, and behavioral analysis. It will also provide valuable exposure to international standards and practices. With these skills, I will be better equipped to lead research that not only serves commercial clients but also supports inclusive development in Latin America. Long term, I want to design methodologies that combine behavioral data, spatial distribution, and predictive analytics to inform both private and public strategies around infrastructure, resilience, and access to services.
Please tell us about your career journey in market research, the role of market research in your country, and the impact this award will have on your future success.
In Bolivia, market research is often underutilized or disconnected from public impact. My goal is to bridge this gap by bringing rigorous, data-driven approaches into social and urban decision-making. I see research not just as a commercial service but as a civic tool. Through my work in spatial analysis and accessibility modeling, I aim to support more inclusive planning. Receiving this award would validate and strengthen this vision, allowing me to help reshape how market research is practiced and valued in my region.
