The charitable arm of Esomar strengthens its board

The Esomar Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of a new president and five new board members

We look forward to further strengthening our Foundation and deepening its impact for the benefit of our community.”

— Karin Lieshout, President, Esomar Foundation

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, July 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Esomar Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of a new president and five new board members. Karin Lieshout has been appointed as its new President, succeeding John Kearon, who served as President since 2017 and played a pivotal role in shaping the Foundation’s impact and direction. The Foundation extends its sincere thanks for his commitment, leadership and vision.

Lieshout brings extensive leadership experience as co-CEO of SKIM, having played a key role in transforming the company from a start-up into the global insights-based consultancy it is today, while also  driving SKIM’s sustainability agenda. As a member of the Esomar Foundation Board for the past two years, Karin has long been an advocate for using insights as a force for good.  “I am excited to continue building on the strong foundations already in place, and very grateful to John for his inspiring leadership. I look forward to working with the Board and our volunteers to achieve our ambitions,” said Lieshout.

The Foundation is also delighted to welcome three new members and two supervisory members to the Board: 

- Mayke Harkema, Senior Manager Business Consultancy at SKIM, is an emerging voice in the insights industry and a recipient of a 2025 ESOMAR YES Award and Significant Insights Global 30 Under 30 recognition. Harkema is passionate about mobilizing the insights community for social good and inspiring insights professionals to use their skills to create meaningful impact beyond business outcomes.

- Jon Arthurs is Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainability at Toluna, bringing over 30 years of experience. He leads sustainability at Toluna where he founded the company's ESG strategy. With a passion for growing businesses for the good of the people, the planet and long-term sustainable profit, Arthurs succeeds Frederic-Charles Petit (CEO of Toluna), whose vision and dedication have significantly strengthened the Foundation's work for social good. The Esomar Foundation extends its thanks and gratitude to Petit for his hugely valuable contributions to the Foundation and leadership for the OneDay initiative.

- Dave Phillips, Global Client Director at Kantar, is a Fellow of the Market Research Society (MRS). With over 40 years experience, Philips brings impressive industry knowledge, and a huge passion for the insights sector and its ability to do good. 

- Esomar Council members Martha Llobet and Lucy Davison also join as supervisory Board members to help drive the strategy for the next two years. 

Lieshout added, "With Mayke, Jon and Dave joining the Board, and the strong connection to the Esomar Council through Lucy and Martha, we look forward to further strengthening our Foundation and deepening its impact for the benefit of our community."

About The Esomar Foundation
The Esomar Foundation is the charitable arm of Esomar, the global association for the data, research, and insights industry. Its mission is simple: to turn the expertise of the insight community into a force for good. It does this through two key areas of impact: 1) Education & Scholarships: Creating opportunities for the next generation of researchers through scholarships, education programmes, and professional development opportunities, particularly for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and developing economies. 2) OneDay: Connecting charities and non-profits with insight professionals who volunteer their expertise to help organisations make better decisions, strengthen their impact, and better serve their communities. https://esomarfoundation.org/

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Marie Melsheimer
Esomar
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