Hampton Court Palace, 25th September 2021
What a privilege it was to be invited by the Cowling family to celebrate Tony’s life in such a memorable way. Over 130 of Tony’s family, closest friends and colleagues from different eras of his long career came together at Hampton Court Palace to show their respect, appreciation and fondness for him. Along with many recorded contributions from others who could not make it on the day, we can safely say:
‘We did Tony proud‘.
Inspired by Tony’s values of innovation, inclusion and internationalism, the Foundation identifies and celebrates breakthrough ideas, supports collaboration between industry, academia and investors, and helps accelerate innovations that have the potential to transform market research, business insights and data analytics.
Our ambition is not simply to remember Tony Cowling’s remarkable contribution to the profession.
It is to continue the work that defined his life: championing innovation, developing people, connecting ideas with opportunity and helping shape the future of the global insights industry.
Some people build successful companies. A very small number change an industry.
Tony Cowling was one of those people
In 1965, Tony joined with Stewart Taylor, Liz Nelson and Hugh Stammers to establish Taylor Nelson, a business founded on a simple but ambitious belief: that organisations make better decisions when they truly understand people. Over the following four decades, Tony’s vision, leadership and determination transformed that belief into one of the world’s most influential research organisations.
Under Tony’s leadership, Taylor Nelson grew from a pioneering UK research company into an international business listed on the London Stock Exchange. Recognising that clients increasingly required global insight, he led a series of landmark acquisitions, including AGB in 1992, before negotiating the transformational merger with Sofres in 1997 to create Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).
By the time Tony retired as Chairman in 2006, TNS had operations in more than 80 countries, employed around 15,000 people and had become one of the largest market research and business insights organisations in the world. It was a remarkable achievement, built not simply through commercial success but through a relentless belief in people, innovation and international collaboration.
Tony understood long before many others that the future of business insight would be global, technology-enabled and driven by exceptional people. He invested heavily in talent, championed innovation, supported professional standards and helped shape the development of market research as a trusted global profession. His influence extended far beyond TNS through leadership roles with organisations including the Association of Market Survey Organisations (AMSO), Gallup International Association and ESOMAR, and through his lifelong commitment to raising standards across the industry. His contribution was recognised with the Market Research Society Gold Medal and, in 2001, he was named Market Research Executive of the Decade by the respected US publication Inside Research.
Those who worked with Tony remember more than his achievements. They remember his integrity, humility, tireless work ethic and his ability to inspire confidence in people. He believed that great organisations are built by developing great people, encouraging collaboration and never losing sight of the values that underpin lasting success.
Today, the Tony Cowling Foundation exists to carry that legacy forward.
Since Tony’s death, and the Covid-19 pandemic we have all endured, the atmosphere at the memorial gathering held last month was just as poignant and relevant – Tony would definitely have approved!
You will also be able to hear and see a plethora of short tributes recorded by friends and colleagues. For those that knew and admired Tony but were not able to be part of the event at Hampton Court, we do encourage you to watch the recordings and feel part of this fitting memorial.
Our thoughts are with Renée, Tony’s wife of just short of 60 years, ever the perfect foil for Tony, and whose steadfast character added humour and pathos during the event with her loving and faithful gallic interventions.
A toast to Tony’s legacy and sincere thanks to all his family for their very generous hospitality, inviting us to participate in this moving event. We hope you draw comfort knowing how much Tony was admired.
Inspired by Tony’s values of innovation, inclusion and internationalism, the Foundation identifies and celebrates breakthrough ideas… Tony Cowling was one of those people who changed an industry. From establishing Taylor Nelson in 1965 to creating TNS, one of the world’s largest research organisations, his legacy defines our work today.
Richard Clarke, Partnerships Director, Via email at Richard.clarke@tonycowlingfoundation.org or mobile on +44(0)7935144000 and he will be happy to assist you.
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