Welcome to the ‘Meet the team’ series. To give you a glimpse of what it’s like to work at Futures, we’ve conducted a series of interviews with members of the team, across various levels of seniority and experience. Each person has been asked the same questions about their role, but have also answered a mix of questions on challenges they’ve faced, interview advice, the sports industry etc.

What is your current position and how long have you been with the business?

I am an Analyst at Futures and have been with the business for nearly 8 months, joining in January 2024. Prior to Futures, I worked in strategy consulting (mostly specialising in Consumer Goods and Retail industry) for two and a half years.

What are your current core responsibilities?

Since joining the team, my main account has been London Marathon Events (LME). For LME, we deliver insights into viewership, exposure, and the value that sponsors gain through their sponsorship rights at events like the London Marathon and Ride London. I have also been involved in consumer research projects - an area I particularly enjoy and am able to leverage my previous experience in. Lastly, I have worked on economic impact research, assessing the economic value attributed to the host city of an event.

Beyond client work, I am engaged in Recruitment and Social Media at Futures. I currently manage our LinkedIn content, which, while different from my usual responsibilities, allows me to tap into my creative side! I enjoy showcasing our team's efforts and providing a glimpse of who Futures really is.

What are some of your biggest highlights in your time at Futures?

Despite having been at Futures for just 8 months, there have already been several notable highlights, both professionally and personally. One key moment came just 2 months into my time at Futures, when I had the opportunity to pitch alongside my colleague Anthony for a new project with a top sports organisation focused on expanding their global fanbase. It is fair to say I was punching above my weight in terms of seniority, but it was a fantastic experience to work on the proposal, pitch, and ultimately secure the project!

On a personal level, I have really enjoyed all the socials, with the team reward trip standing out as a major highlight. Even though I hadn’t contributed to the previous year’s success, it was a great fun to travel with the team and watch Real Madrid play Valencia.

Lastly, from a personal development perspective, I have really appreciated the emphasis on continuous learning at Futures. Whether it is being encouraged to attend conferences or participating in the weekly sessions led by other team members, it is clear that Futures fosters an environment where everyone can continually grow their skill set.

What has been your favourite piece of work to work on?

I have always enjoyed consumer research, so I was excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with our sister agency, Futurebrand, on a project for a top sports organisation. Having grown up watching this sport with my family every week, this project perfectly aligned my passion for the sport with my enthusiasm for consumer research. The project involved designing a consumer survey to understand different types of fans and followers globally. These identified groups are now being used by the brand marketing experts at Futurebrand to craft a new brand image. It has been incredibly interesting to see the end-to-end process of how our research is being implemented.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced at Futures?

I’d say the key challenge I faced when joining Futures was a sense of imposter syndrome - feeling that everyone’s data analytics skills far exceeded what I had in my locker. For example, I learned in my first week that some team members were working to automate PowerPoint creation using Python. And while it’s true that the team here is exceptionally smart, with some being very advanced in certain aspects of coding and analytics, there are others (myself included!) who bring a different skill set to the table. Futures does well at leveraging individuals’ different skills to deliver the best results for clients and recognises the unique strengths each person brings, fostering an environment where we can all learn from one another.