MRMW NA 2019 Conference Series – Will Krieger - Reasearch America

Welcome to the MRMW NA 2019 Conference Series. Recorded live in Cincinnati, this series is bringing interviews straight to you from exhibitors and speakers at this year’s event. In this interview, host Jamin Brazil interviews Will Krieger, VP of Research America. Contact Will Online: LinkedIn [email protected] Research America [00:00] Will Krieger, Research America, MRMW – He and I got to spend a few minutes together talking about how Research America is improving overall insights deliveries into their customers.  Another piece of our conversation, which I actually thought was really interesting, is that M&A strategy that Rob Porter has put together with Research America to drive 16 successful acquisitions in just a five-year period of time.  I can give you a hint as to what the solution is: It’s all about core values, fit, and culture. Enjoy. [00:37]   My guest today is Will Krieger, Research America.  Will, thanks for being on the Happy Market Research Podcast.   [00:44]   Thanks for having me. [00:45]   So, we’re live today at MRMW in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Have you been to this show before? [00:51]   I have.  First time was last year. [00:53] OK, got it.  And are you from...  I know Research America has an office here, right? [00:57] We do.  Yeah, we’re in Blue Ash.  If you know Cincinnati. So, northern Cincinnati.  And I am from Cincinnati. I’ve been here, born and raised in Cincinnati, which is not at all uncommon in the Cincinnati area.   [01:10]    Yeah, I had an employee from here.  So, my previous business partner, Jayme Plunkett and I, hired out of his graduating class out of Stanford.  And one of them, Alex (I forget his last name now), but was native Cincinnati. And one of the things I found out about the community is, it’s kind of like if you’re born here, you stay here.    [01:31] Exactly, and I’ve stayed here.     [01:33]   Yeah, that’s right.  That’s great, though. [01:36] Family’s a big part of that.        [01:36] It is.           [01:38] Right.  You’ve got the whole family here.  It’s hard to break away from that. [01:41] It’s about those core values, I think, too, right?  You have like the similar world view on what’s important and that helps at a corporate level or support that at a corporate level is...  If you go to a different environment, they might not think that those same values are important, and so driving you to do different behaviors that aren’t supportive.   [02:00] Very true, very true. [02:02]   Which is nice about Research America, thinking about that business as...  I know Rob Porter, the CEO,