Reinventing consumer insights for the digital era
Tsquared was created in 2010 to fulfill the vision of a new paradigm for consumer insights. Whether it is because of shrinking attention span, increasing media fragmentation, the ubiquity of data, or concerns with traditional insights approaches, it is time for a major evolution.
Our values
At Tsquared we believe in working together with an open mind to achieve an ambitious vision. We follow the principle applied at some of the world’s leading academic institutions of being soft on people and hard on ideas. Working hard does not have to be boring!
Meet the Tsquared team
Mathieu Trepanier – CEO & Co-Founder
Dr. Mathieu Trepanier is the CEO & Co-Founder of Tsquared Insights. He is a regular guest lecturer at INSEAD (France) in both the MBA and HCILP programmes on topics related to digital insights and reputation leadership. He collaborates on a number of research projects in the fields of computation linguistics, behavioural finance, and strategy. Mathieu is also an associate researcher at the Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economic Research at the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland). He holds a Ph.D. in managerial economics and strategy from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (USA), a M.Sc. in applied economics from HEC Montréal (Canada) and a bachelor’s from Laval University (Canada). He also studied finance at Audencia School of Management (France). In his free time, Mathieu likes to play squash and sail on lake Geneva.
Caroline Thibodeau – COO & Co-Founder
Caroline Thibodeau is the COO & Co-Founder of Tsquared Insights. She is primarily involved in combining smart data technologies, human creativity, and the right skill sets to solve important challenges in marketing, consumer insights, reputation management, strategy, and beyond. Prior to co-founding Tsquared Insights, Caroline oversaw consulting engagements at FirstSight Group (USA), a boutique management consulting firm established by professor Daniel Diermeier, now dean of the Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, USA. Caroline holds a M.Sc. in applied economics from HEC Montreal (Canada) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in international business management from Laval University (Canada). She also studied marketing and finance at the Audencia School of Management (France). In her free time, Caroline likes to sail and practice ski touring.
Carole Brousse – Vice President, Human Ressources
Carole is in charge of Human Resources at Tsquared, where she mostly deals with selection and recruitment, on-boarding newcomers, as well as structuring the HR function, tools and processes. Before joining Tsquared, Carole worked both for big multinational groups and smaller companies, in Switzerland as well as abroad. In parallel to her activity in Tsquared, Carole is an independent HR consultant and professional coach and trainer. In her free time, she studies oenology and is an theater amateur actress.
Gilles Haumont – Chief Commercial Officer
Gilles Haumont is the Chief Commercial Officer of Tsquared Insights. He has a BA. Hons in Political Science from Sciences Po Paris and an MBA from l’ESSEC (French top 3). After 5 years in Finance (Société Générale) and Management Consulting (Accenture), Gilles went to occupy senior management positions for the past 25 years in leading groups in the Luxury Industry such as Richemont and Kering. He led the international expansion of Cartier as Retail Director, and held similar roles at Boucheron (International Director) and Harry Winston (Vice President Retail). Gilles then managed private companies in the Luxury sector as CEO: Muzo International, Hédiard and Mellerio. He has worked in all key markets around the world and has lived in the UK, Australia, the USA and Switzerland. In his free time, Gilles writes novels (three published so far), plays with his five children and runs marathons.
Jim Hershkowitz – Vice President, FMCG
Jim is Vice President for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) at Tsquared, helping clients in their quest for actionable insights. Belgian by origin, he holds a Bachelor in Commercial Engineering and a Master in Business from Solvay Business School. For the past 13 years, Jim has worked in growing responsibilities in Marketing, Sales, and Technology. He worked at Procter & Gamble for 7 years, first in Finance for Pharmaceuticals before moving to Marketing where he led award-winning product launches on Ariel in the UK and across Europe. Later Jim co-founded a software start-up gaining 20’000 consumers and many B2B accounts. An expert in Product Development, he is also a trainer for the Swiss Confederation and he mentors startups. In his free time, Jim enjoys technology and playing with his children.
Ivan Marinov – Vice President, Research & Development
Ivan leads R&D at Tsquared. He has more than 20 years of experience in a leading FMCG company analyzing consumers around the world, discovering insights about their needs, wants, passions and interests. He also worked for the US government seeking pricing “anomalies” for various brands, companies and industries. Ivan holds a Computer Science degree from Sofia Tech University. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling the world (amongst the 80+ countries and islands he has visited, Hawaii is his favorite destination), speculating in the stock and bond markets, reading books and cooking tasty meals.
Maurice Straetmans – Vice President, Health Industries
Maurice leads the Healthcare business at Tsquared Insights, focusing on the specific needs of the medical industry and other players in the health(care) domain. This includes for example Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Biotech and related Life Sciences companies. Maurice held various international marketing & sales roles at leading companies within this industry (Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Boston Scientific) consecutively prior to becoming an independent consultant. He has an educational background in Healthcare Policy and Management, Business Administration for Healthcare and holds a Master Degree in Health Economics. Ever since his study his focus has been on healthcare and the value it brings to a patient’s life. Dutch by origin, Maurice lives with his family nearby Lausanne, Switzerland and in his free time enjoys all mountain activities that this country has to offer.
Lewis Armitage – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Dr. Lewis Armitage is an Analyst and Data Science specialist for Tsquared, where he leverages modern computing languages and statistical techniques to deliver advanced data insights. He holds a Ph.D. in physics from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and a Master’s degree in physics from Cardiff University. Before joining Tsquared Lewis worked for the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) where he specialised in big data analytics, with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) where he focused on the latest scientific research techniques and at Manipal Institute of Technology as an assistant researcher on cancer detection in biotechnology. Some of Lewis’s favourite leisure activities include hiking, skiing and wine tasting.
Mikael Bourqui – Director of Analysis
Mikael is the Director of Analysis of Tsquared Insights, where he leads consumer insights projects across markets and industries and develops new ways of understanding consumer behavior using data science. He holds undergraduate degrees from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and the University of Geneva and a Masters from Oxford University. Prior to joining Tsquared, Mikael spent a number of years doing graduate work in sociology at Oxford, including a stint as a visiting scholar at Tokyo University where he researched the future of urban societies. He is fluent in a dozen programming languages and six natural ones, including Japanese and his three native languages, Finnish, English, and French. When not at the office, he can be found reading, cooking, playing music, and especially spending time with his family, preferably near a lake.
Pascal Cuendet – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Pascal works with the Geneva Tsquared Insights team, contributing to projects across a variety of industries for world-leading FMCG companies. In his job he is motivated by tackling the latest and most challenging questions facing clients in any given country market. His areas of particular interest include luxury and the food industry. When he is not at work, Pascal can be seen on his bike, in the Alps, practicing team sports, or cooking homemade pasta. He loves to travel around the world discovering new cultures … and eating amazing specialties. Bilingual in Swiss German and French, Pascal is also fluent in English, standard German, Mandarin Chinese, and … (to be continued). Some of his latest academic credentials include an MS in Asian Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute, and a CAS from Peking University.
David Dubois – Senior Academic Advisor
David combines 15+ years of research, teaching and consulting experience on: (1) how organizations and individuals can leverage and integrate digital and social media channels to create and capture value and (2) how brands can build iconic products and services by leveraging status and style dynamics. As a recognition of his academic contributions published in top journals, he was named a 2017 Young Scholar by the Marketing Science Institute. He is also a passionate educator and actively contributes to build pedagogical tools to help disseminate cutting-edge business practices around the world. One of his most recent case on the role of digital intelligence in new product development at l’Oréal Paris was awarded the 2017 best marketing case by the Case Center. In addition to accompanying a number of C-level executives in the digitalization of their businesses, he is also a Senior Academic Advisor at Tsquared Insights, a Geneva-based company specialised in digital intelligence and insights generation. At INSEAD, David launched and teaches MBA electives on (1) digital strategies and (2) value creation in luxury and fashion. In addition, he has designed, directed and/or delivered several executive education programs or workshops (for companies such as Sanofi, Abbvie, Biogen, Grünenthal, Moët Henessy, Diageo Reserve, l’Oréal Paris, Pernod Ricard, Ferrero, Adecco, Mizuho, Nitto Denko etc.) and he co-directs INSEAD’s Leading Digital Marketing Strategy Programme. Prior to joining INSEAD, he was a faculty member at HEC Paris where he taught in the grande ecole and PhD programs. To consult and/or download his work, please visit his INSEAD website.
Daniel Hernandez – Data Scientist
Daniel is a Data Scientist at Tsquared Insights where he leads the development of an application used to analyze online consumer behavior. His background is in Computational Biology and he holds a Master of Science in Bioengineering from the EPFL, and a degree in Biology from the National University of Uruguay. He worked in Colorado as a Mathematical Modeler Biotech Intern, then at EPFL, Switzerland, as an Assistant Researcher in the Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology. His mother tongues are English and Spanish, and he also speaks French. In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his family, partaking in outdoor activities, cooking, and creating music.
Damian Iordanov – Data Engineer
Damian is Data Engineer at Tsquared Insights. An econometrician by training, Damian studied at HEC Lausanne and at the University of Amsterdam, from which he holds a MSc. and a Bachelor’s degree, both in economics, specializing in Macroeconomics and Statistics. He currently leads the Predictive Analytics team at Tsquared, having previously worked in the Business Economics division at Caterpillar. Using a combination of programming languages, he is always exploring new methods and sources for creating robust forecasting and big data systems. Born in Bulgaria, Damian lived in the US, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, benefiting from a diversified cultural exposure. Outside of work he enjoys following the technical and strategic evolution of Formula 1, along with learning new Kendama tricks.
Aliona Ogorodniciuk – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Aliona is a Consumer Insights Analyst at Tsquared, where she carries out online marketing research for German and Russian speaking markets. Her foreign language skills and cultural insights enables her to participate developing market knowledge and in-depth data analysis. Aliona sharpened her analytical & client management skills while working in private banking in Liechtenstein, as financial planner in Switzerland, before moving to market research with Tsquared. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In her free time she enjoys discovering new countries and cultures, mountain biking and hiking.
Carmen de la Puente – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Carmen is an Analyst at Tsquared Insights. She is passionate about unveiling secrets hidden in big amounts of data and what she loves most about her job is being able to apply creativity to every-day data analysis. Carmen graduated in Economics from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Madrid) and participated in the top International Trade program in Spain (ICEX), obtaining a Master’s degree in International Business Administration. Before joining Tsquared, she worked at the Spanish Economic and Trade Office in Milan and at two technology companies in Madrid. When she is not at the office she enjoys cooking, reading recipe books and taking photos for her food-themed Instagram account: @thepantrygeneva. She also likes music and hiking in the Swiss mountains.
Fabrice Gaude – Account Director
Fabrice is an Account Director at Tsquared, with a particular focus on FMCG and Health clients. He has held various Sales/Marketing & Client Business Partner roles, and worked most recently for over 10 years with the Nielsen Company in both London and Geneva offices. With considerable experience in the fields of Media and Sales Effectiveness, he has also worked in various start-ups within the media and digital industry in the UK. He has an educational background in marketing, digital and business, and has a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. Over the years, he has become an expert in digital marketing and technology, and holds a Certificate of SEO optimization with UC Davis. More recently, he has been working as a volunteer at the Innovation of Changes Switzerland, where he was a digital marketing consultant for a global forum on Ethical Business. Swiss by origin, Fabrice lives in Versoix, near Geneva, Switzerland and during his free time, he enjoys skiing, hiking, playing squash and touring in his classic car.
Cécile Barajas – Account Director
Cécile is Account Director at Tsquared, helping clients in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. She holds a Master in Business and Management from HEC Paris, with specialization in marketing. After a few years guiding a variety of FMCG companies at Kantar Worldpanel in France, she moved to Gillette and Procter and Gamble Europe, where she worked for 14 years in various Consumer and Marketing Insight roles across several personal care categories. From this experience, Cécile keeps a passion for understanding consumers and market trends and turning these insights into actionable recommendations. Outside work, Cécile loves travelling around the world with her husband and 2 daughters, understanding the world, its people and cultures. She also enjoys singing and playing the guitar.
Matthieu Clauzure – Marketing Manager
Matthieu Clauzure is the Marketing Manager of Tsquared Insights. His main duty is to create Tsquared’s brand story, support business development initiatives and develop winning marketing campaigns in combining his data analysis skills, strategic thinking and creative flair. He holds an MBA in marketing from Newcastle University Business School & Tongji University (China). Before joining Tsquared’s Insights, Matthieu worked 6 years in London for a leading digital marketing agency, creating marketing solutions for FMCG, e-business and automotive clients. During his free time, Matthieu enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his family. He has also the particularity of being unbeatable at Cluedo.
Ezra Bottequin – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Enabling clients to engage in data-grounded and customer-centric decision making is a strong drive for Ezra. In his role as analyst for Tsquared, he provides actionable insights on online consumer trends. He holds an MSc in Psychology from the University of Geneva, has several years of experience in academic and agency research and is fluent in English, French and German. Outside of work, he can be found outdoors, getting his sweat on, watering his plants and spending quality time with friends.
Alexandra Covesan – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Alexandra joined the Tsquared team mid-2018, contributing to landmark FMCG studies in her role as an Analyst. She has graduated with a Business Administration degree from the University of Bath and worked in various data-driven roles, both agency-side and client-side. Being born in Romania and having lived in the UK, Hong Kong and now Switzerland, Alexandra loves cultural diversity and the variety it brings to her day to day work. Outside of work, when not travelling, she makes the most out of what Switzerland has to offer: panoramic hikes, adventurous skiing and delicious cheese!
Stefan Teodorescu – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Stefan is a Consumer Insights Analyst at Tsquared. Having worked for some of the biggest players in the technology, consumer electronics and FMCG sectors, on a variety of projects covering brand and communications research, his experience puts him at the core of consumer insights and digital brand strategy. Stefan is a Law School graduate and lived in Romania and the UK before moving to Switzerland.
In his free time, he enjoys video games, reading, listening to podcasts and going for long drives.
Misha Kalinin – Senior Digital Project Lead
His professional career started with a renowned consumer marketing research agency and later on he moved on to a leading FMCG multinational. He is passionate about marketing insights and consumer centric decision making in business across Brands and Markets. During his professional career he acquired a proven record of leading consumer ad-hoc and continuous surveys and delivering insights and recommendations on business strategies across a variety of emerging and mature markets.
Mikhail holds a degree in Econometrics from Moscow State University of Econometrics, Statistics and IT and an MBA degree from HEC University of Lausanne.
Pierre Hopf – Account Director
Pierre is an Account Director at Tsquared passionate about data and analytics. He’s spent the past 15 years advising leading FMCG and OTC companies on issues such as marketing & sales ROI, pricing & trade management, customer management and assortment. Pierre started his business career in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) working with Procter & Gamble on media and pricing optimization prior to moving to Geneva in 2009 to take on European responsibilities. In the past four years Pierre’s focus has been on scaling analytic solutions across global organizations to drive competitive advantage. Pierre earned a dual master’s degree in Business (MBA) and Arts Administration from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio (USA); he also holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California (USA). Pierre lives in Nyon, where he grew up, with his wife and daughter; he enjoys travelling, the arts, skiing and hiking in the Alps.
Disha Pamani – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Disha is an analyst at Tsquared Insights. She is passionate about applying advanced data analysis and statistical tools for delivering meaningful insights from big data on online consumer behaviors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and later earned her MBA from top universities in India. Before joining Tsquared, Disha had worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross and Duracell in Geneva and at two major companies in India in the domain of product pricing and data analytics. In her free time, she enjoys travelling around the world and exploring different cultures. She also has a keen interest in cooking Indian food, hiking and biking in the beautiful Swiss countryside.
Agnieszka Szpakowska – Senior Analyst, Consumer Insights
Agnieszka is Senior Analyst at Tsquared Insights. She works on identifying market opportunities across industries and assessing efficiency of marketing campaigns through consumer search behavior analysis. Previously Agnieszka managed ecommerce focused projects in a fast-growing startup, helping international consumer goods brands improve their online presence. She has a background in Social Psychology and is fluent in 4 languages. After having lived in different countries, Agnieszka landed in Switzerland. When she is offline, she is traveling or enjoying Swiss mountains, food and live concerts.
Cansu Aebischer – Analyst, Consumer Insights
Cansu is a Consumer Insights Analyst at Tsquared. She is fascinated by finding new solutions and approaches in market research, data analysis, and project management. She believes that understanding who our clients are, how they make their purchase decisions, and why they select some products and not others are key factors in business analysis. Before joining TSquared, she had worked in PwC as financial auditor, and then started an academic career in leading universities in Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, a Master of Arts in Management Information Systems and she did her doctoral studies in Marketing. In her free time she enjoys travelling and swimming.