Three new executive hires bring passion and innovation to an industry prime for transformation

GutCheck, a pioneer in the agile market research space, today announced the addition of three new team members who will have a critical impact on continuing to grow the business. Chief Product Officer Keith Johnson, Executive Vice President of Sales & Client Services Shawn Vaughn, and Vice President of People Operations Josh Ashton have joined the team and share a vision: provide clients with actionable insights—fast—through the fusion of technological advances, methodology, and human expertise.

As the former executive vice president of strategic data solutions at Wunderman, Johnson brings a wealth of knowledge in the application of big data to enhance brand growth. As GutCheck’s chief product officer, he will be responsible for collecting and synthesizing voice-of-consumer feedback, overseeing the development and launch of all products, and enabling go-to-market teams. “I’m really excited to innovate. The market research industry is prime for transformation. The combination of big data and market research is a massive area of exploration that we are well positioned for, and we’re focused on continuing to improve the quality of insights we deliver to clients in faster more affordable ways through innovation,” added Johnson.

As a key stakeholder in GutCheck’s mission to further scale its business of helping clients think smarter and act faster, Vaughn will be maniacally focused on customer satisfaction to drive strong partnerships and continued use in his role as executive vice president of sales and client services. Previously at Mintel International Group where he ran its largest vertical, North America Consumer Packaged Goods and Beauty, Vaughn will apply his extensive knowledge of leading sales and account management professionals as he helps GutCheck scale and move into the next phase.

“The passion that GutCheck employees have for helping clients is really exceptional. Customers are buying answers, and GutCheck is able to tie those answers specifically to client needs and initiatives in a smart, fast way. It’s a great spot to be in and the passion truly makes a difference,” said Vaughn.

The people and culture at GutCheck are exactly what drew Ashton, vice president of people operations, to the company. Ashton brings 15 years of human resources experience, most recently at SendGrid, where he helped the company mature and scale from 40 to 400 people. “I’m elated to join a company who prioritizes its people above everything else. As GutCheck continues to pioneer the agile market research space, I hope to leverage my experience in scaling companies to assist in navigating the path ahead,” said Ashton.

“I couldn’t be happier to have this group of talented executives join GutCheck to help us further grow and optimize our business of providing quality, global insights at the speed of business,” added Chief Executive Officer Matt Warta.

GutCheck continues to challenge the status quo in the market research industry. To learn more about its evolution and see how clients are using agile market research solutions to move their businesses forward and stay innovative, visit our solutions page to learn more.