THE FIELDCATS
Tiffany Schwalm
President
Beginning her market research career in 2004, Tiffany has become a trusted partner for conducting global qualitative research studies. Tiffany's "can-do" mentality has earned her a reputation in the industry for being able to manage even the most complex projects with grace and precision.
With over a decade of experience she has developed the foresight to ward off problems before they even happen. Seasoned and fearless, Tiffany is always willing to work 110% to make sure her clients are happy!
Tiffany's experience in the industry spans both qualitative and quantitative research, with past employers including Doyle Research, Stratalys Research & Consulting, Hall & Partners, watchLAB and FUELglobal. Throughout her tenure in the industry, Tiffany has cultivated relationships with the best in the biz; whether it's choosing a good partner for B2B research in Bangalore or finding physicians in Philly, Tiffany knows who to use and why. Her areas of expertise include screener development, ethnographies, mixed methodology studies, multi-market and global research, and online research.
Tiffany holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Music Performance from The New School, in New York City. She attributes her success as a project manager to the discipline and focus learned by her training as a classical musician. Countless hours in the practice room honing her violin skills taught Tiffany how to persevere and stay calm even in the most stressful situations. In addition to occasionally breaking out her violin and playing in local ensembles, Tiffany enjoys hot yoga, baking, gardening, whisky and wine, dining at amazing establishments, traveling (both to cities and geographically spectacular destinations), promoting and attending classical music performances, and spending time with her awesome family.
John Schwalm
Vice President of Operations
Starting in 2015 John made the leap from the small world of fine arts to the exciting labyrinth of market research. While the two worlds may seem very far apart, his skills as a classically trained musician have served him well.
Serving in a professional orchestra for over a decade honed his eye for detail as well as developed his intuition of when to step in, step up, or just listen. This ability to identify, adapt, and overcome challenges makes him the resident Glue Guy.
Never afraid to roll up his sleeves and take on the most difficult task, John takes great pride in keeping the operations of Fieldcats running as smooth as a well-oiled trombone slide. As an avid reader, adopter of the latest and greatest technology trends, and history/sociology buff, he is able to keep current on the pulse of current research practices. Ever changing passions keeps his perspective objective and mind fresh to help Fieldcats maintain its excellence and always on the prowl for new opportunities.
John holds a Bachelor’s of Music from The University of Texas and a Master’s of Music from The Julliard School. Upon graduating college John served as the Bass Trombonist for the Lyric Opera of Chicago for 13 years. After years in the snowy Windy City, he moved back to sunny taco filled Austin with his wife, son, and two dogs. He loves exploring new places to eat tacos and BBQ, taking in the natural beauty of Central Texas, catching a concert or two, fishing, exercising and building loudspeakers.
Roshni Patel
Field Director
Upon graduating University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Roshni parlayed her accounting experience into the insurance industry building a solid book of business with a dedicated team.
Needing a change of pace and drawn to the industry Roshni pivoted into market research as a Project Manager at a full-service market research firm in Austin.
After reaching her potential as a Project Manager, she joined the Fieldcats team as a Project Director.
Roshni’s worldly outlook along with her multi-disciplinary background helps keep clients, vendors, and team members on track. With an enthusiasm that is infectious, her can-do attitude lets partners know they are in good hands. Roshni’s skills of juggling and multi-tasking along with determination to make sure each project is a success is what drives her to be the best.
Born in the UK, Roshni got bit with the travel bug at the early age of 6 months when she traveled to India with her parents. Through the years, she has traveled to Africa, most of the EU, Dubai, and is planning her next adventure. Besides being an avid traveler, she is a foodie, fashionista, and loves a good pub crawl! Roshni enjoys fine chocolates and finer wines and makes sure to sample plenty of each on her travels.
Kristin Burgess
Senior Field Director
Kristin is an energetic leader and has a proven track record layered with passion, inherent curiosity, and ability to manage both domestic and international projects consistently.
With 14+ years of practical experience as a market research field director, Kristin has successfully executed hundreds of projects involving CPG, insurance, entertainment, financial and technology-based companies just to name a few. Her client work has spanned a wide variety of methodologies including ethnographies, IHUTs, focus groups, 2Q (in person or online quant/qual work), and demand space exploration. Kristin’s sweet spot is consumer packaged goods and has been involved on projects that span a variety of methodologies for recruiting everyone from moms to baristas and bartenders to c-suite professionals. Some examples of Kristin’s work are projects for rebranding and positioning for juice, dairy innovation, and white space project on snacks and breakfast foods as well as exploratory work on theme and amusement parks on a global scale. She has mastered her skill set for full service offsite project management to tailor each project by utilizing unconventional workspaces for sessions among any sized group and methodology.
Kristin is a client favorite, consistently demonstrating enthusiasm to get to know her clients as human beings. Her general up-beat personality and collaborative spirit make her one of those people that clients appreciate and just like working with.
She has a Bachelors from the University of Kansas and a Masters degree from Baker University. Kristin’s favorite activities are social undistancing with family and friends, travel, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, enjoying good wine and most of all being a mom to the two most perfect pups: Benny and Lilly.
Nicole Williams
Field Director
Nicole is a legacy in the Market Research industry – her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and mother ran successful recruitment agencies for many years. Having began as a recruiter herself at just 14 years old, Nicole has successfully climbed the market research ladder giving her a unique understanding of all facets of the industry ranging from recruiting, management, screener writing, fielding, and delivering the desired panels for qualitative and quantitative research in both pharma and consumer studies. After almost 20 years of experience, she knows what it takes to provide outstanding services to clients. FieldCats, Inc. is a full-service field management company specializing in global qualitative market research.
Nicole holds her bachelor’s degree from Towson University in Maryland in English with a concentration in technical writing, allowing her to pay close attention to detail and notice the small things that can become the big things. Nicole is a very family-oriented and caring person, residing in Harford County, Maryland with her husband and three boys. When she is not working, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family, building relationships within her community by attending and supporting local events and businesses, cooking, and reading.
Jarene Armstrong
Senior Field Director
After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and statistics from the University of Michigan, Jarene began her market research career in 2006. She spent 15 years at Escalent, starting as an Analyst and Project Manager. She then worked her way up to Director of Project Management, before joining Fieldcats in 2022.
Known for being a work horse and having a calming presence during chaotic projects, Jarene has developed a trusted following of clients and partners alike ... all touting Jarene's reliability and ability to consistently deliver outstanding work. She never backs down from a challenge and goes above and beyond for her team! No matter the project, complexity, client, or respondent type, Jarene has the determination, organization, composure, and diligence to make anything possible.
Specializing in all things pharma, Jarene is also extremely well versed in compliance processes and procedures, and utilizes this knowledge to ensure that her projects adhere to all AE, BHBIA, GDPR, etc. requirements needed.
Jarene is originally from Michigan but now lives in Georgia with her daughter. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, traveling, and weight training.
Ilgin Basar
Field Manager
Fascinated by human nature and cultural differences, Ilgin started her career as a qualitative market researcher in Turkey. She has a vast experience in the industry, managing projects for consumer goods, automotive, financial services, retail, technology, travel, pet care, and pharmaceutical/healthcare clients.
After working as a moderator and an analyst in numerous qualitative research projects in Turkey, she moved to the U.S., and met with the world of quantitative research. She managed various quantitative research projects including phone surveys with U.S. Hispanics and online surveys with general population for tracking, segmentation, advertising effectiveness, brand health, category usage and attitudes, and consumer satisfaction studies.
Intrigued by the use of new emerging technologies in qualitative research, Ilgin came full circle, and she is back where she started, qualitative research. She joined FieldCats in 2021, bringing her experience in project management, screener development, and helping clients engage better with their consumers.
Ilgin holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in psychology and sociology from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey, and attended the MBA program in University of Miami. She is a healthy foodie, an avid beach goer, and a world traveler. She has been to Europe, Canada, Argentina, and all the states in the U.S. --- except Alaska. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL and loves spending time with family and friends, hiking, biking, doing yoga, and making sure her two fluffy cats are happy.
Cameron Cowles
Field Manager
A Chicagoland native, Cameron grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago but has lived in downtown Chicago for the past 11 years. He studied bio-chemistry at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) but has always had a passion for the arts and music, and soon found himself pursuing that passion.
His experience in project management began when he was hired to assist at a Gold Coast art gallery and a frame shop, where he gained experience managing projects, maintaining high-end client expectations, and honing an attention to detail. His career in market research began when working at the esteemed Energy Annex, where he learned the basics of market research. After spending a bit of time in the market research industry, Cameron felt drawn to the diversity of the field. Cameron's move to Fieldcats was a natural progression, allowing Cameron to mix his project management and research facility experiences in a new role.
Outside of work Cameron enjoys playing and recording music in multiple bands, as well as camping, reading, and petting his cat Grady.
Allen Winczewski
Executive Assistant
Allen began his Market Research career in 2013 as a concierge at the well-loved Energy Annex in Chicago. During his 7-year tenure at Energy Annex he absorbed the nuances of qualitative research and learned how to anticipate the needs of his demanding clients. When joining FieldCats in 2021, Allen repurposed his expert in-person hosting skills virtually, hosting global interviews, and also utilized his knowledge of the industry to launch his career in project management. He understands the importance of exercising dependability, problem solving, and attention to detail to ensure customer loyalty and satisfaction. Allen has exceeded client expectations from his first steps into market research and continues to do everything necessary to make sure his fabulous reputation stays intact.
Allen graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, which he feels exhibits his dedication to thinking deeply about the world around him. In his free time he plays drums, guitar, and sings in numerous Chicago-area ensembles; Allen is seen by his musician colleagues as a reliable player who can easily adapt to a wide variety of styles and personalities. In addition to his musical talents, Allen has also had the privilege to travel across the globe. He enjoys immersing himself into and learning about other cultures and, so far, has traveled to 15 countries spanning across five continents.
Jess Koneval
Field Manager
An NYC native now residing in Boston, Jess earned their bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in music and political science. Jess started their market research career directly after graduation as a facility manager at Copley Focus Centers. Having balanced facility management, recruitment, and project management all at once, Jess can fit the job for any occasion, all while bringing a new level of attention to detail to our clients’ projects.
Jess uses their background in facility management daily, with a trained set of eyes that has been in every role. An experienced field manager with a demonstrable history of success in their field, Jess also puts their background in psychology to great use when seeking to understand what it is that makes people think the way they do, a truly essential skill in market research! Proficient in communication, working directly with clients, and showing meticulousness on every project, Jess is always looking to learn something new. From hosting in-person focus groups to project management, Jess has seen and done it all. Jess’s clients can rest assured that they are in the hands of a highly skilled FieldCat!
Felisa Ruiz
Field Manager
A go-getter at heart, and no stranger to hard work, Felisa fully understands what it takes to succeed in market research. Originally from small-town Arkansas, Felisa graduated from the University of Central Arkansas, where she studied sociology. Upon graduation, she headed to Austin, Texas to pursue her master’s degree in public health, leading to her professional experience in project management and qualitative research.
Felisa brings forth her extensive knowledge of medical terminology and the public health field to adhere to pharmaceutical studies, as well as her experience with qualitative focus groups and data management to coordinate studies across all industries. Her background in sociology also comes into play as she continually seeks to understand social patterns and other key elements of human behavior, which are unquestionably fundamental to market research!
FIELDCATS' MISSION
In the world of marketing, the best decisions are made based on the best research, particularly Qualitative Research. The investment of billions of dollars and years of planning depend upon predicting outcomes based on detailed and often complex user studies. Get it wrong and the livelihood of thousands could be at risk...so get it right.
Fieldcats is well respected for "getting it right". When time is critical, when projects are either global or in unfamiliar markets, or when additional resources are required for field management tasks...we can help.
We have earned the loyalty of our clients by providing a level of skill and service unmatched by our peers, adding tremendous value to each of the studies with which we are associated...with down to earth personalities and complete transparency.