Dean Biddulph
Independent Researcher,
Coach & Consultant at I&I Insight
BSc Psychology
MSc Psychology of Advertising
MRS Market Research Society Advanced Certificate
6 years commercial market research at KPMG Nunwood,
working with household brands across a range of sectors3 years education/social research at Cosmos Engagement,
supporting Widening Participation in Higher Education2 years as a freelance/independent research provider
Ran a vegan catering business with my wife
Self-published my own sci-fi novel
Taught English in Vietnam
Certified Business Coach
I've always had a natural eye for insight, so it’s no wonder I’ve spent most of my professional life in this area. Meanwhile, I’ve always trusted my intuition to guide me through important life decisions, always aiming to stay true to my values, which I believe to be the key to professional & personal success.
It was in a sixth-form college in Stockport that I first started to formally study the mind & behaviour, having always tended to see life from a 'psychological' perspective. I went on to gain a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Lancaster University, with a minor in psychology in education, followed by a master’s in psychology of advertising. I was inspired by my best friend - who was studying business & marketing - to see how I could use my skills in the commercial world.
I moved across the Pennines to start a work placement at KPMG Nunwood, Leeds, where I would go on to gain three promotions in six years, up to the position of insight manager, specialising in customer experience and working with a number of major brands across retail, finance, utilities & travel sectors. While I enjoyed the research practice itself, I always wanted to have more of positive social impact...
I decided to do something completely different, setting up a mobile catering business with my now-wife, selling raw vegan food at festivals & pop-up events around the UK, from our camper van. We later went on to spend time teaching English in Vietnam, as I continued to push myself outside of my comfort zone, in the pursuit of further life experience & learning. I also wrote & published my first science fiction novel Liberty Farm, with more books on the way.
I then went on to spend 3 years across two spells at Cosmos Engagement, as a research manager & senior research manager, specialising in education & youth research, working with universities across the UK supporting access & participation of under-represented young people in education, and supporting the development of engagement content & interventions. I am proud to have contributed towards positive social change, as well as the early growth of the business, but ultimately found that I would need to fly my own path in order to fully express myself and achieve my potential.
In my first 2 years as a freelance/independent research provider, I've continued my work in the education sector with clients such as KMPF, ThinkHigher and Rekenrek101, providing research for the FA as well as providing coaching services to a number of smaller business, and continue to grow and support by own vision and values through my work.
I&I is my way to share my greatest talents with the world. Through the integration of insight & intuition, as I see them, I hope to help larger businesses & organisations to increase their success while staying true to their values, while supporting smaller businesses & projects to achieve their vision and turn their ideas into reality.