Dr Mitzi Desselles
Director of Consumer and Social Action Research
T: (+01) 703 361 6061
E: mdesselles@apterinternational.com
Mitzi is a skilled facilitator, designing ground-breaking qualitative research and training workshops for multinational organizations worldwide. She has conducted research on such diverse topics as advertising, social and political change, product packaging, and internet site design. In addition, she has delivered executive training programs in a wide array of businesses and non-profit organisations. She is adept at establishing an easy rapport with a wide variety of audiences.
Mitzi’s early career began in academia where she was Assistant Professor of Psychology at Purdue University. She left small-town university life for the bright lights of Chicago and the advertising business, joining DDB Needham Worldwide. There she helped fuel the creative process for clients such as Volkswagen, Discover Card, Maybelline, Frito-Lay, and Mobil. In 1994, Mitzi was named Vice-President of Multinational Research and Planning for DDB globally. She joined Mobil Oil Corporation as Market Research Manager and later Senior Marketing Consultant in the firm’s global Center of Excellence. Excited by the opportunity to lead a research team focused on both rational and emotional motivators, she became Director of Research for Apter International in 2000.
She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational psychology and so brings a solid scientific grounding in human behavior to bear on client issues. Her interests and experience are centered around understanding motivations that impact the bottom line, whether the issue involves persuading consumers to purchase premium products, motivating employees to achieve peak performance, or helping groups to thrive on change.