Kelly Beaver: Ipsos Global CEO, Career, Education and MBE

Introduction

Kelly Beaver MBE is a British business and research leader who became the global Chief Executive Officer of Ipsos in July 2026. She is known for her work in market research, public opinion, social research and evidence-based policymaking.

She joined Ipsos in 2011 and spent more than 15 years building her career inside the company before reaching its highest executive position. Her journey has included public affairs research, leadership of Ipsos UK and Ireland, global healthcare work and major research projects connected with government and society.

Kelly Beaver is also an MBE and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Her career shows how research and data can grow from behind-the-scenes work into major business leadership.

Kelly Beaver Quick Facts

Detail	Verified Information
Full registered name	Kelly Anne Michelle Beaver
Professional name	Kelly Beaver
Former name	Kelly Beaver, née Long
Birth month and year	January 1983
Age	43, as of August 2026
Nationality	British
Country of residence	England
Profession	Business executive and research leader
Famous for	Global CEO of Ipsos
Joined Ipsos	2011
Ipsos UK & Ireland CEO	From 2021
Global Ipsos CEO	From 31 July 2026
Education	BA, Queen’s University Belfast, 2006
Honour	MBE
Academic role	Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London

Companies House records her full name as Kelly Anne Michelle Beaver, her birth month as January 1983 and her nationality as British.

Who Is Kelly Beaver?

Kelly Beaver is a British executive best known for her long career at Ipsos, one of the world’s major market research and public-opinion companies.

She became the company’s global CEO on 31 July 2026 after Ipsos’s Board of Directors unanimously approved her appointment on 30 July. She succeeded Jean Laurent Poitou.

Her experience is strongly connected with understanding what people think, how society changes and how reliable research can help businesses and governments make better decisions.

Her rise to the global CEO position followed more than 15 years at Ipsos.

Kelly Beaver Age

Kelly Beaver was born in January 1983, according to her official Companies House officer record.

This makes Kelly Beaver 43 years old as of August 2026. Companies House does not provide an exact birth day in its public officer record, so an exact date should not be stated without another reliable source.

What Is Kelly Beaver’s Full Name?

Her full registered name is Kelly Anne Michelle Beaver.

Queen’s University Belfast lists her as Kelly Beaver, née Long, showing that Long was her earlier surname.

Kelly Beaver Education

Kelly Beaver studied at Queen’s University Belfast.

The university’s alumni records list Kelly Beaver, née Long, as a graduate with a BA in 2006. The public alumni entry does not clearly state the subject of the BA, so it is better not to guess what she studied.

Her later career became strongly focused on economics, public-policy evaluation, social research and market research.

Kelly Beaver Early Career

Before joining Ipsos, Kelly Beaver worked as an economist and consultant.

Ipsos’s latest official biography says she worked at PwC and Coffey International Ltd, covering European and international markets.

An academic biography from King’s College London also mentions consulting roles including PwC and KPMG and says that she specialised in public-policy evaluation.

These early roles helped build the research and analytical experience that later became central to her career at Ipsos.

Kelly Beaver Career at Ipsos

Kelly Beaver joined Ipsos in 2011.

Over the following years, she moved through several important positions. One of her major roles was leading UK Public Affairs, where research was used to understand public opinion, behaviour and social changes.

Her work involved subjects that affected millions of people.

King’s College London says Beaver led or contributed to major research programmes involving:

• COVID-19 prevalence through the REACT study
• Public attitudes toward vaccines
• Brexit
• The use of evidence in decision-making
• Public services and policy
• Early-years research with the Royal Foundation

This work helped make her a recognised figure in British public-opinion and social research.

Becoming CEO of Ipsos UK and Ireland

Kelly Beaver reached another major career milestone in 2021, when she became CEO of Ipsos UK and Ireland.

She was the first woman to hold the UK chief executive position, according to King’s College London coverage from 2022.

Leading the UK and Ireland business gave Beaver experience managing a large research organisation while continuing to appear publicly as an expert on polling, social attitudes and major political or economic questions.

Her career can be compared with other modern British executives who have moved from specialist professional roles into major leadership positions. SparkDaily readers can also explore the story of Poppy Gustafsson and her journey from accounting to leading Darktrace.

Kelly Beaver Becomes Global CEO of Ipsos

The biggest promotion of Kelly Beaver’s career came in July 2026.

On 30 July 2026, the Ipsos Board of Directors unanimously chose Beaver as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer.

She officially took over immediately, with the announcement published on 31 July 2026.

Before receiving the global CEO role, she had most recently served as Chair of Ipsos’s Global Healthcare Service Line.

Ipsos said Beaver brought more than 15 years of experience inside the group as well as deep knowledge of the research industry.

Readers who want the company’s own announcement can see the official Ipsos statement confirming Kelly Beaver’s CEO appointment.

What Does Kelly Beaver Do as Ipsos CEO?

As global CEO, Kelly Beaver is responsible for leading Ipsos at group level.

Her job involves guiding the company’s strategy, supporting growth and helping Ipsos respond to the changing research industry.

Modern research is increasingly shaped by data, technology, artificial intelligence and new ways of understanding human behaviour.

When her appointment was announced, Beaver highlighted the importance of trusted insights created through a combination of data, technology and human expertise.

Her leadership also comes as Ipsos continues its Horizons strategic plan.

Kelly Beaver MBE

Kelly Beaver holds the title MBE, meaning Member of the Order of the British Empire.

She received the honour in 2022 for services connected with academia, research and the COVID-19 response.

Ipsos’s current biography also highlights the MBE as one of the major recognitions of her research career.

The award reflects the importance of research during the pandemic, when governments and the public needed reliable information about behaviour, infection levels and changing attitudes.

Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

Kelly Beaver became a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2021.

The Academy said its Fellows are recognised after independent peer review for the excellence and impact of their work and wider contributions to social science.

When Beaver joined the Fellowship, she was Managing Director of the Ipsos MORI Public Affairs division.

This recognition places her professional work within the wider social-science community, not only the commercial business world.

Kelly Beaver and King’s College London

Kelly Beaver also has a connection with King’s College London.

King’s lists her as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow within the Policy Institute and Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy.

Her work there reflects a long-term interest in using reliable evidence to understand society and improve decision-making.

She has also been involved with the Campaign for Social Science and research connected with major questions about the future of the British economy.

What Is Kelly Beaver Famous For?

Kelly Beaver is mainly famous for:

• Becoming global CEO of Ipsos
• Previously leading Ipsos UK and Ireland
• Working in market and social research
• Studying public opinion and behaviour
• Leading important public-policy research
• Contributing to COVID-19 research
• Receiving an MBE
• Becoming a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
• Supporting evidence-based decision-making

Unlike many famous business leaders, Beaver built much of her public reputation through research rather than consumer products.

Kelly Beaver Leadership Style

Kelly Beaver’s professional career suggests a leadership style built around evidence, research, people and informed decision-making.

Ipsos highlighted values including integrity, curiosity, collaboration, customer focus and entrepreneurship when announcing her appointment as CEO.

Her career also shows the value of staying with an organisation while taking on increasingly important responsibilities.

She joined Ipsos in 2011, became CEO of its UK and Ireland operation in 2021 and reached the global CEO position in 2026.

That is a clear example of long-term career progression.

Another British business story worth reading is Justin Basini’s journey as ClearScore co-founder and Group CEO, which also shows how specialist knowledge can grow into major company leadership.

Kelly Beaver Net Worth

There is no reliable public figure for Kelly Beaver’s personal net worth from an authoritative financial source.

Websites may publish estimates, but an estimate should not be presented as fact without dependable evidence.

For the same reason, claims about her exact salary, houses, cars, investment portfolio or other personal assets should be treated carefully unless disclosed through reliable public documents.

Is Kelly Beaver a Company Director?

Yes.

Companies House records multiple current and former company appointments connected with Kelly Anne Michelle Beaver.

Her public record includes directorships involving Ipsos companies and businesses within the wider Ipsos group.

As of August 2026, Companies House lists 15 total appointments on her officer record.

This gives another public record of her senior role within the business world.

Why Is Kelly Beaver Important?

Kelly Beaver’s importance comes from the type of information her industry provides.

Governments, businesses and organisations often need to understand:

• What people think
• How attitudes are changing
• Why consumers behave in certain ways
• Whether policies are working
• How society responds to important events

Market and social research helps answer these questions.

As the CEO of Ipsos, Beaver now leads a company whose work helps organisations understand people across many countries.

Her promotion also represents a major step from specialist public-policy research into international corporate leadership.

Kelly Beaver Career Timeline

2006: Graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a BA.

Before 2011: Worked in consulting and economic or policy-related roles, including work with PwC and other consultancies.

2011: Joined Ipsos.

2021: Became CEO of Ipsos UK and Ireland.

2021: Became a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

2022: Received an MBE.

Before July 2026: Served as Chair of Ipsos’s Global Healthcare Service Line.

31 July 2026: Became global Chief Executive Officer of Ipsos.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kelly Beaver

Who is Kelly Beaver?

Kelly Beaver MBE is a British business and research executive. She became the global CEO of Ipsos in July 2026.

How old is Kelly Beaver?

Kelly Beaver is 43 years old as of August 2026. Companies House records her birth month and year as January 1983.

What is Kelly Beaver’s full name?

Her full registered name is Kelly Anne Michelle Beaver.

Is Kelly Beaver the CEO of Ipsos?

Yes. Kelly Beaver became the global Chief Executive Officer of Ipsos on 31 July 2026.

When did Kelly Beaver join Ipsos?

She joined Ipsos in 2011.

Where did Kelly Beaver study?

Kelly Beaver studied at Queen’s University Belfast and completed a BA in 2006.

Why does Kelly Beaver have an MBE?

She received an MBE in 2022 following her contribution to research, academia and the COVID-19 response.

What is Kelly Beaver’s net worth?

No reliable authoritative source publicly confirms Kelly Beaver’s exact personal net worth, so speculative figures should not be treated as fact.

What is Kelly Beaver famous for?

She is best known for leading Ipsos and for her work in market research, social research, public opinion and evidence-based policymaking.

Final Words

Kelly Beaver’s career is a strong example of how research expertise can lead to global business leadership.

She started in consulting, joined Ipsos in 2011 and steadily moved through important research and management positions. By 2021, she was leading Ipsos UK and Ireland. Five years later, she became the global CEO.

Her MBE, Academy of Social Sciences Fellowship and academic work also show that her influence extends beyond business.

As Ipsos moves further into a world shaped by data, technology and artificial intelligence, Kelly Beaver is now responsible for guiding the company through its next stage.