We are Progressive
An insight isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if its discovery hasn’t been reached rigorously. That’s why we’ve sought out new and innovative methods since embarking on our journey in 1985.
Whether you’re looking to influence behavioural change or drive forward a commercial strategy, our committed and passionate team will work with you to find the right research solution that delivers understanding and makes a difference. Each project follows a bespoke research plan, often involving methods unique to us.
We offer the full range of qualitative and quantitative techniques, as well as our proprietary specialist services.
Our story...
Founded in 1985, Progressive has grown from its original team of two to having staff and offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Our fieldwork team of dedicated professional interviewers covers the whole of Scotland from the Northern Isles to the Borders, and we work with partners to ensure full UK coverage when required.
We have a diverse range of clients spanning the public, private and third sectors, including government, local authorities, key public services, the NHS, advertising agencies, charities, and brands and businesses of all sizes. We pride ourselves on developing strong long-term relationships with clients, which means we can fully immerse ourselves in their business and goals leading to research that truly delivers impact. We’re especially proud of our place on several Scottish Government frameworks, including the Scottish Government Market Research Framework and the Social Research and Analysis Framework. This has given us the opportunity to stretch ourselves and bring many of our most innovative methods to the market for a broad range of organisations.
We have a strong commitment to quality and are fully accredited to ISO 20252: 2019; we are Market Research Society Company Partners and hold Cyber Essentials Plus Accreditation.
Our people...
Sarah Ainsworth
Joint Managing Director
Diane McGregor
Joint Managing Director
and longest serving member of Progressive with over 20 years of experience. Diane is a stickler for detail and rigorous organisation.
Leah Ringland
Research Director
has been in the insight business since 2006. Her experience enables her to give strategic advice when interpreting results. She is great at listening to people; client and colleague opinions matter to her.
Ruth Bryan
Research Director
Valerie Strachan
Associate Director
Elise Livingstone
Associate Director
Stefan Durkacz
Research Manager
is an experienced researcher interested in understanding what makes people tick. He is skilled in both qual and quant methods and has a particular interest in sustainability and environmental research.
Heather Jamieson
Senior Research Executive
Ollie Leatherdale
Research Executive
Susan Cummins
Operations Director
Abel McNamara
Associate Director
joined Progressive in 2016 and heads the DP team. He is responsible for data processing and scripting surveys. He has a rigorous and careful approach, with great attention to detail.
Amy MacPherson
Senior Operations Manager
runs the telephone unit and interviewer fieldforce, with a reputation for quickly solving problems before they are an issue. She’s passionate about pivot tables.
Chris Iskander
Operations Executive (DP)
Harris Paterson
Operations Executive (DP)
joined Progressive in 2026 and is responsible for supporting the DP team with script writing, data processing and analysis. Harris is a graduate in Data Sciences and has a keen interest in processing large databases and finding errors. He approaches tasks with an open mind and is ready to challenge them from any angle.
Elena Palomo
Operations Executive
Kirsty Docherty
Head of Finance
Carole Oag
Financial Director/Chairperson
And we do this...
Quantitative research
It’s a numbers game and we offer a full range of services to gather robust and accurate data, including online surveys, face-to-face and telephone interviewing, omnibus services and mystery shopping.
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Qualitative research
Fancy a chat? Qualitative methods can get to the heart of a topic and allow for a deeper understanding of the issues – through our in-depth interviews, online and face-to-face focus groups, and ethnographic and observational techniques.
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Work with Progressive
Want to join our team? We’re always keen to hear from budding researchers – send in your CV if you’re interested in an executive or operations role with us.
