Louis Russell on Curiosity, Leadership, and Preserving Human Expertise in the Age of AI

Editor’s Note: The following interview features a 2026 Greenbook Future List honoree, Louis Russell. The Greenbook Future List recognizes leadership, professional growth, personal integrity, passion, and excellence in the next generation of consumer insights and marketing professionals within the first 10 years of their careers.

Louis Russell, Associate Consultant (Research Executive) at incling and a 2026 Future List Honoree, brings a thoughtful blend of sociological curiosity and commercial understanding to market research. Inspired by the real-world impact of insights, he is passionate about helping organizations make better decisions while championing flexible leadership and the development of future talent. Russell is particularly focused on ensuring that as AI transforms the industry, researchers continue to build the critical thinking, methodological rigor, and human expertise that drive meaningful insights.

Outside of insights, what are your passions and interests?

I’m quite active as I go to the gym for weightlifting and cardio every day… well i try too. On weekdays I typically have an extended lunch break so I can avoid the evening rush, which does mean I finish work later in the day but totally worth it! I’ve been an infrequent goer for around 3 years, but the last year I’ve become more consistent in going. Being a remote worker, sometimes it can be hard to find a work-life balance when your home is also your office, so getting out and being active is not only great for physical health but it’s a great mental break to really shut off from work, change your environment and get some fresh air; I’ve even found I’m more productive at work after lunch because I’ve had a reset!

I have a friend group where quite a few are based around the world. In our spare time, we get together as a group to do some online gaming. Not only is it a great time to socialize and catch up, but are doing something fun as well, usually playing Valorant or Marvel Rivals together. Other than that, I’m a huge foodie. I love going into London with my friends to try different food and drink. TikTok is a great source of inspiration for finding new and trending places to visit, with one of my favorite places in London being Borough Market as there's such a large range of options to pick from. If you ever find yourself there, you have to go to “The Black Pig” for their insanely good sandwiches. 

When did you know you wanted to enter a career in insights, and what inspired you? 

I remember being so indecisive on what I wanted to do for a career all through school and university. I had studied Business Studies for GCSE and A-Level, getting top grades, but there was always something missing so it never really caught my interest. Once I started studying Sociology at university, and doing social research modules, that’s when I realized how much I enjoyed research and insights, so I mixed my Business Studies background with my Sociology degree to land in the middle with market research! What then inspired me was my first role after graduating. I joined a pharmaceutical market research agency, and it was there how I really saw the impact market research can have on the world. Our decisions have an impact, so I want to produce something I’m proud of, and be able to provide something to others, big or small.

What do you think the key characteristics or qualities of a leader are? How does this play into MRX?

I don’t think leaders are born, but rather are made, and we learn the qualities that we need to lead based on experiences (the good and bad) and through growth. Market research is an industry full of passion, creativity and the subjective, so leadership should be able to amplify these aspects while remaining practical to ensure a strong and timely delivery.

So most importantly, a leader needs to be flexible and understanding of others as their approach to leadership may not be suitable for everyone. It’s not about expecting people to work how the leader would like them to, but rather giving their team the support and tools to excel at how they would prefer to work, and ensuring they remain on track for the broad objectives. We all have different ways of thinking, of doing a task, and different speeds to complete something; and a good leader would be able to accommodate this and take all opinions into consideration rather than push people into a box that might not suit them. 

If you could change one thing about insights, what would it be? 

Personally I would like people to be more considerate around their use of AI as it continues to develop, potentially slowing down its adoption into our industry. Right now, AI is a very hot topic, and we have seen a lot of conversations around how we can implement it to speed up and optimize, and these talking points grab people's interest often without a discussion on its limitations and implications.

There are current concerns and studies taking place to look into the potential of cognitive atrophy due to AI use. The idea that AI is taking over tasks for us means we no longer use our brain to do it, and that neuron pathways and memory will be lost over time. Ultimately we forget how to do things for ourselves and become reliant on AI but then also lack the ability to truly validate the accuracy of the AI output. Our research directors have reached that status due to determination, experience and knowledge. 

Will the future of our industry be led by those without these qualities because they never had a chance to build them to begin with? 

We have seen AI be implemented for tasks such as writing discussion guides, assisting with reporting, and even moderating and analyzing our data. We have the potential to lose what makes human led research so impactful to begin with as we slowly lose the art of well crafted methodologies and analytics. If we are going to adopt AI into our arsenal, we need to know that we can comfortably use, guide and validate it through our own expertise. It is not a replacement but an extension of ourselves.

Question: Who is your career role model or source of inspiration?

I don’t think there is a singular answer to this question, as I’ve got to meet so many great and accomplished people in my career, and so many people have shaped me into who I am.

That is the beauty of having a team, and even more so working for a small company. You grow close to your colleagues both professionally and socially. We have each other's back, we support each other at all times, we offer advice to grow, and mistakes are never judged but are opportunities to learn; all of which provides people with an environment to flourish. 

With all of that support I’ve been able to:

• Work on impactful research projects with colleagues
  • Some that are award nominees
  • Some used as promotional materials for our company
  • Some that have been published
• Work with colleagues to continue company educational programs
• Created wellness initiatives to boost team connections and morale as remote workers
• Mentor new team members and provide them with adequate support

Introduce new and successful company wide practices to level up our service. So while I might be on the lower end of experience within the market research industry compared to some of the other honorees on this year's Future List, it’s what I’ve done within those couple years that reflect me and the future of our industry, but also is a shining reflection of the incredible people at incling who continue to inspire, motivate and teach me, which I’m now able to provide for other people.