The new SAMRA Council is as follows:
Chairperson Elsa Thirion-Venter
Chair Elect/Treasurer Rob Powell
Immediate Past Chair Salomé Barnard
Johannesburg Chair Marna Kirchner
Cape Chair Stina van Rooyen
Pretoria Chair Sanchen Henning
KwaZulu Chair Peter Highley
Namibia Chair Cornelius D’Alton
Fieldworkers Forum Chair Claudette Dearnaley
Research Users Forum (RUF) Chair Neil Govender
SAMRA Corporate Chair Lydia Rolando
Professional Practice Chair Elaine Alder
Membership Chair Jan Wegelin
Communications Chair Kathryn Ann Robinson
External Communications Portfolio Chair Anina Maree
International Communications Portfolio Chair Leonie Vorster
Membership Diversity Mzwandile Khanya
SAMRA Journal Chair Dion van Zyl
Conference and Awards Chair Kim Larsen
Yearbook Chair Cletus Dube
Accreditation Chair Alex Kessel
Training and Education Chair Noluvuko Mathibe
Code of Conduct Chair Shirley Harding
Services Seta Chair Margaret Constantaras
Says SAMRA chairperson, Elsa Thirion-Venter: “While significant progress has been made to enhance SAMRA’s profile over the years, we will continue to work hard to promote constant awareness of SAMRA as a professional body. Also high on our agenda is to increase membership numbers among individuals and companies involved in the marketing research industry, as well as among students as potential future marketing researchers.”
Other goals are to:
• Increase visibility and awareness of SAMRA at universities
• Entice more marketing research users to join SAMRA by strengthening the Research Users Forum (RUF) to better represent the interests of users; and to
• Assist in training of young, researchers by means of SAMRA training courses and through the SAMRA bursary scheme, are other priorities.
• Promote and uphold professional, ethical and sound research practices.
• Continuously drive to eliminate unethical research practices and to stimulate an ongoing passion for superior quality and standards.
• Encourage co-operation between industry stakeholders and interdisciplinary co-operation.
• Actively encourage and promote the SAMRA Accredited Researcher programme. “Acquiring accreditation should become the standard that all marketing researchers must aspire to accomplish,” stresses Thirion-Venter.
For more information about SAMRA, or for contact details of the new council, visit
www.samra.co.za or call Nadia Cassim on 011 886 3771.