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I've spent decades helping organisations and professionals make better decisions by combining domain expertise with data capabilities. My career has bridged three worlds that rarely intersect: leading analytics teams and initiatives at major tech companies (Apple and Flurry) as well as my own market research company (Market Truths), conducting and publishing academic research, and training hundreds of working professionals. This combination gives me an unusual perspective on what actually works when using data in organisations—not just what the textbooks say, but what succeeds in messy reality.

Industry Experience:  I founded, built and led the team that conducts Apple-branded surveys about Apple hardware and software products in major and emerging markets. This included guiding the design and implementation of automated systems for managing a large number of surveys with a relatively small team, enhancing analytical capabilities within the main market research group at Apple, and liaising with other teams that collect, use, and store Apple data. At Flurry (which was subsequently acquired by Yahoo), I developed methods for understanding mobile app usage patterns and their implications. My research-driven approach generated media coverage in outlets such as Forbes, The Guardian, and Wired, and earned the Advertising Research Foundation President's Award. Prior to that, my own market research company, Market Truths, was a pioneer in conducting research in and about virtual worlds and the real-world people who participate in them. 

Academic Credentials: I've published extensively in academic journals and authored Business Analytics: Combining Data, Analysis & Judgement to Inform Decisions (Sage, 2023). I teach professional development courses through Victoria University of Wellington's Wellington Uni Professional programme.

My Approach: Too many analytics initiatives fail because they focus only on the technical aspects while ignoring the organisational context, subject-matter expertise, and human judgment. I help bridge that gap—whether through online and in person public courses, custom courses or training, or helping develop data-driven thought leadership for your organisation. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any of those things.

Mary Ellen Gordon