MRS Gold Medal Awarded to Bill Blyth
26 April 2018

MRS will award its rarest accolade for only the eleventh time since its designation for ‘signal service to the profession’ in 1982.

William (Bill) G Blyth has made an outstanding contribution to market and social research over a 45 year career dedicated to supporting the institutions which protect and promote the sector. His roles have included being Treasurer and Chair of MRS, Chair of the European Research Federation EFAMRO, Chair of the BSI and ISO committees responsible for developing the research standards BS 7911 and ISO 20252 and a long-serving member of the ESOMAR Professional Standards Committee. 

As well as his dedication to research associations, professional development, and quality and research standards, Bill personally presented numerous papers at both MRS and ESOMAR conferences from 1972-2010 and two of the papers he authored in the International Journal of Market Research won the MRS Award for Innovation in Research Methodology.

“Little did I think in 1974 when I wrote an MRS paper with Len Marchant that my involvement with MRS would continue until 2016,” says Bill. “I most enjoyed the MRS Education Committee and the MRDF/BSI/ISO committees that gave the basis for the design and operational sides of MR, which have been important to the MRS and internationally. There’s more but too much to summarise, so I’d just like to thank all people I’ve worked with for making it so pleasurable. It’s an award I accept with honour and pride.”

The MRS Gold Medal will be presented along with the new Fellowships, Silver Medal, Annual Conference Awards, IJMR Collaborative Award and Advanced Certificate Award at the Excellence Awards lunch on 8 June.