A big thank you to Meabh Quoirin for a powerful, engaging and at times emotional Wollstonecraft Speaker Series lecture. Meabh, CEO and co-owner of insight specialist Foresight Factory, spoke to Sixth Form students about the winding career path that brought her to the world of trends and data. She explained how growing up in Belfast during the Troubles built a reservoir of resilience that has helped shape her career; how to spot the gender inequality traps that even the most switched-on women can still fall into; and shared some leadership tips – always assume something is possible, always listen, and always hire people better than you!

She also gave us a glimpse of some trends coming down the track in 2023 including Diverse & Decolonise (championing marginalised groups and dismantling exploitative power structures); Unapologetically Me (where consumers are making individual style and choices in defiance of perfection and sameness); and Mood Makers (who focus on EQ and mental wellbeing). 

The Foresight Factory is a predictive planning consultancy. A key voice in consumer trends and analytics, Meabh’s expertise lies in interpreting behaviours and signals to uncover what matters most to consumers today and tomorrow. She helps global brands build a culture and mindset of strategic foresight, so they can confidently anticipate, shape and control their future. Meabh is a guest lecturer at Dublin University and regularly speaks at high profile industry events such as Advertising Week, Ted X and the Institute of Marketing. She is a LinkedIn Influencer and has regularly been featured as one their “Top Voices” in the UK.