Susan Thornhill founded Thornhill Associates in 1984, specializing in qualitative research, strategic consulting and facilitation. Susan brings a unique set of professional skills especially valuable in today’s world of evolving technologies and innovative approaches.
Her diverse experience as a Qualitative Research Consultant, has spanned client projects from identifying consumer catalog new business opportunities, through promoting water conservation behavior change, to employee retention, and aiding organizations and associations needing to become more relevant in order to survive.
As a Facilitator, Susan has designed and facilitated creative brainstorming events with marketing teams to identify new business directions and product positioning.
As a Strategic Planning Consultant, she uses qualitative research as an important foundation in the development of salient strategic plans when repositioning nonprofit and membership organizations for success.
Susan has a broad range of facilitation and qualitative research methodologies in her toolbox, embracing new technology as well as traditional methods when designing the most appropriate research or facilitation plan to meet client objectives. Whether in a focus group facility, a home, a store, a car, online, or at a golf course, Susan’s extensive event planning capabilities and creativity allow for successful research just about anywhere. A unique research tool Susan developed has been touted by clients as “providing rich context revealing more insights about our customers than we could have imagined, truly bringing them to life in our marketing brainstorming sessions.”
Susan is creative, innovative, intuitive and curious. Her ability to build strong relationships provides the firm with a breadth of solid professional resources who can be brought into a “virtual team” to provide the highest level of expertise for a project. Susan’s extensive involvement and most recent volunteer role as the President of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association provides her with up-to-date education on new research tools and methodologies, as well as valuable global connections.
Prior to starting Thornhill Associates, Susan was Sr. Vice President of an executive search firm responsible for directing key executive search engagements, strategic consulting with clients, recruiting, interviewing executives, and managing operations for the firm.
Susan’s credentials include a business degree from Southern Illinois University and completion of numerous leading qualitative research seminars. Having extensive experience with nonprofits, Susan has been a member of or held volunteer leadership and board roles with organizations including: Qualitative Research Consultants Association, Boy Scouts of America, Rotary Club of Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Alliance for Water Efficiency.
Susan has an extensive nonprofit background in leadership and Board level volunteer positions.