Alison Browning

Experience

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  JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) programme, Taku Board of Education, Saga Prefecture, Japan

  Jul 1995 - Jul 1998

  Language Teacher

  • Seized this opportunity to immerse myself in a culture very different to my own & other European cultures I knew to pave the way for my future career path for which I knew intercultural knowledge and understanding would be essential• Taught English & cultural studies to over 1000 Japanese students per year in junior & elementary schools in rural Japan• Organised and taught 3 adult evening classes per week: pre-intermediate, and upper-intermediate• Selected as seminar speaker for various conferences across Japan, incl. Newcomers to JET, and Renewers, to promote principles of good teaching, the best ways of helping Japanese students to learn, tried and test learning activities, and cultural sensitivity • Voted to be representative of JET teachers in my prefecture Show less

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  Research International Tokyo

  Aug 1998 - Feb 2001

  Senior Research Executive (Qualitative)

  • Execution of all stages of qualitative projects (except moderation)• As the only native English speaker in a team of 14 Japanese qualitative researchers, I was highly involved in pitching for new business to foreign multinationals, playing an important role reassuring foreign clients that their business & research needs had been understood and would be met, liaising between them and Japanese colleagues, and acting as cultural interpreter as they tried to get to grips with the Japanese mindset and market and assess the implications for their marketing strategy• Clients / brands were predominantly FMCG and included: Boursin, Perrier, Veuve Cliquot, Ferrero, Godiva, Campbells, Tanqueray, Gaulloises Blondes, Trident, Roche, United Airlines, Shiseido, Dior Show less

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  Cendant Intercultural

  Mar 2001 - Sept 2002

  Associate Cross-Cultural Trainer & Consultant

  • March-June 2001: ASPAC region, based in Tokyo, July 2001- Sep 2002: EMEA region, based in London• Customised and delivered competency-based cross-cultural training and development programmes to senior managers (various nationalities across numerous countries) of blue chip corporate clients to enable them to become more culturally sensitive to customers’, suppliers’, partners’ and employees’ needs, desires and motivations in different countries/cultures and to do business most effectively when working across cultural boundaries. Show less

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  Simpson Carpenter Ltd

  Sept 2002 - Sept 2008

  Associate Director (Qualitative Research)

  • Management and execution of all stages of international projects: taking the brief, designing the research, writing proposals / recruitment screeners / discussion guides, moderating, managing foreign research partners (briefing face to face, viewing fieldwork, debriefing), leading multi-country analysis sessions, writing and delivering presentations to large multinational audiences• Business development of existing accounts & acquistion of new accounts• Personally moderated hundreds of groups, depths, accompanied shops and ethnographic research (in-home, in-car, in-store, in-tent, in-café etc) in UK, US, France, Germany, Kenya & South Africa (incl. in French and German)• Substantial "on the ground" experience managing and attending fieldwork, incl. in a multitude of countries: Europe (incl. Russia, Hungary, Poland), Asia (Japan, China / Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, India), Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia), Africa (Kenya, South Africa), Americas (Brazil, US). • Experience in 4th tier cities & villages as well as larger cities, & in multi-language markets• Significant experience in Simpson Carpenter's key specialist areas: Retail/Consumer, Automotive, and Telecoms• Clients included: Nokia, HP, Energizer, Boots, John Lewis, Waitrose, Tesco, Bauch & Lomb, Vodafone, Virgin Media, Daimler, Nissan, Renault, Honda, Visteon, Johnson Controls, Osram, BASF Show less

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  Flamingo International Ltd

  Sept 2008 - Aug 2009

  Associate Director (Qualitative Research)

  • See detailed description for position at Simpson Carpenter below• Additional key clients: Nestlé, Unilever• Additional markets moderated in: Canada & the Philippines• Further focus on highly visual output. E.g. directed the production of a series of short, impactful films based on ethnographic research conducted across 7 markets (Europe, Asia, South America), to really bring alive and differentiate the client’s consumer segments and benefit platforms. The client planned to use these films as part of their training materials across the organisation. Show less

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  Alison Browning & Associates

  Nov 2009 - now

  International Qualitative Market Researcher, Cross-Cultural Trainer, Corporate/Performance Coach

  QUALITATIVE RESEARCH SERVICES- Research Design / Consultancy- Moderation of groups, depths, ethnography, accompanied shops, test drives, bulletin boards- Analysis / Reporting / Debriefing- In collaboration with research agencies/consultancies or directly with end clientsCROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING, CONSULTING & COACHING- Design & deliver cross-cultural training & consulting to corporate individuals and teams (international assignment pre-departure/post-arrival programmes, intercultural awareness/effectiveness, cross-cultural communication, leading / working in multi-cultural teams, country briefings)- Also train accompanying partners, youth and children for international relocation programme- Provide coaching to individuals who realise the benefit of systematic follow-up to increase their intercultural effectiveness- Adminster and provide coaching to individuals and teams based on the Intercultural Readiness Check profiling tool- Frequently work with 6 of the world's leading cross-cultural training providers as well as with own direct clients Show less