Senior Moderator
Debbie is always up for a new challenge—during the pandemic, she first took up juggling and is now learning the ukulele. In 2022 she joined IOI, where she manages research projects with clients, moderates groups, and reports on findings. What she finds so rewarding about this work is getting to talk to so many new people—she loves people and feels honored to be able to learn from them.
She started her career as a food scientist and product developer at Frito-Lay, which at times had her working on the plant floor in steel-toed boots before she ultimately joined the insights team. She then joined the insights team at Kraft Foods where she led kids and teens research for the Lunchables brand. Her favorite projects are ones that tackle seemingly unsolvable problems. For example, while working in insurance, she uncovered consumer insights related to cost increases, made recommendations on how the company could make that experience better for customers, and helped achieve a significant increase in customer retention.
Debbie lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband, their two sons, and their chocolate Lab Ozzie, who has a dog bed in her home office so he can come to work with her every morning. She does The New York Times crossword every day, kayaks and hikes when the weather cooperates, and is always on the hunt for a new book recommendation.