Vanessa Gracias

Consumer Insights and Market Research leader with 13+ years of agency and client-side experience across FMCG, food, healthcare, BFSI, personal care and consumer technology. Experienced in integrating consumer research, internal business data, syndicated market data and category intelligence to identify growth opportunities and guide brand, innovation, portfolio and go-to-market decisions. Trusted partner to senior marketing, product, R&D and business stakeholders, with a track record of translating consumer, category and market intelligence into actionable growth strategies.

Associate Research Director at DRSHTI STRATEGIC RESEARCH SERVICES PVT. LTD (2023-04 – Present)

• Lead end-to-end research projects spanning concept development, product evaluation, brand positioning, communication narratives, consumer triggers and barriers, category exploration and market opportunity mapping.
• Translate consumer behaviour, category dynamics, competitive intelligence and market trends into actionable product, pricing, positioning, and go-to-market recommendations for client teams.
• Partner with clients across marketing, innovation, product and business functions to ensure consumer insights guide commercial strategy, brand direction and portfolio decisions.
• Manage and mentor a team of 5-6 researchers, strengthening research design, methodological quality, analytical rigour and storytelling standards.
• Design and facilitate insight-to-action workshops that help cross-functional teams convert research findings into decisions, priorities and growth plans.
• Partner with existing and prospective clients to shape research approaches, develop proposals and strengthen long-term account relationships.

Manager – Customer Insights and Strategy at VEDANTU INNOVATIONS PVT. LTD (2022-02 – 2023-02)

• Built frameworks for continuous customer feedback loops and product optimisation, combining research and internal performance inputs to support user experience, engagement and content effectiveness
• Applied behavioural insights and customer journey mapping to identify friction points, motivators, triggers and barriers influencing adoption, engagement and retention.
• Partnered with product, marketing and business teams to integrate customer feedback and behavioural insights into feature development, product lifecycle improvements, communication strategy and user-experience decisions
• Managed research vendors and ensured methodological rigour, governance, quality standards and timely delivery of customer insight programs.

Manager / Assistant Manager – Brand Planning and Strategy at SWIGGY (2019-09 – 2022-02)

• Owned brand planning and product lifecycle strategy for private-label brands, covering innovation, positioning, pricing, portfolio planning and go-to-market execution.
• Combined customer insights, internal business performance, market intelligence, category analysis and competitive trends to guide product launches, portfolio refinement and growth initiatives
• Partnered with marketing, supply chain, operations and business teams to launch consumer-centric products and strengthen category performance.
• Applied customer and market insights to support repeat usage, retention, portfolio expansion and differentiation.
• Embedded the consumer point of view into brand planning, product development and business decisions through cross-functional collaboration.

Assistant Manager - Global Consumer Insights at GENERAL MILLS INC (2015-08 – 2019-09)

• Partnered with global cross-functional teams to support innovation pipelines, packaging decisions, product positioning, communication development and portfolio strategy.
• Leveraged Nielsen RMS, market intelligence, trend tracking, social listening, Mintel, Euromonitor, and consumer research inputs to identify growth opportunities, consumer shifts, and category dynamics.
• Used syndicated market data and external category sources to monitor business performance, market share, competitive trends, channel dynamics and consumer adoption patterns
• Translated research and market data into clear business implications and recommendations for global insight, marketing and innovation stakeholders.
• Manage and mentor a team of 5-6 researchers, strengthening research design, methodological quality, analytical rigour and storytelling standards.
• Design and facilitate insight-to-action workshops that help cross-functional teams convert research findings into decisions, priorities and growth plans.
• Partner with existing and prospective clients to shape research approaches, develop proposals and strengthen long-term account relationships.

Consumer Science Executive at JOHNSON AND JOHNSON | APAC, LATAM (2013-07 – 2015-08)

• Supported consumer-led product development and R&D innovation pipelines across healthcare, OTC-adjacent, and personal care categories
• Partnered with R&D, commercial, regional, and cross-functional stakeholders to embed consumer science frameworks into long-term innovation planning and product development decisions
• Co-led R&D pipeline workshops across APAC and LATAM, using consumer insights to support 5-year innovation strategies and strengthen consumer centricity
• Ensured compliance with global research SOPs, data governance, research quality standards, and cross-market reporting expectations.

Market Research Consultant at LUMIERE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PVT LTD (2013-01 – 2013-07)

• Supported custom market research projects for early-stage brands and multinational clients across research execution, data analysis, synthesis, and report development
• Contributed to consumer insight generation, market understanding, storytelling, and actionable recommendations for brand and business teams.

Relationship Manager – Privilege Banking at ICICI BANK LTD (2011-03 – 2012-12)

• Managed a portfolio of high-value customers, assessed their financial needs and recommended suitable banking, investment, insurance and lending solutions.

PGDM in Marketing & Finance – St. Joseph's Institute of Management (2009-09 – 2011-05)

B.Sc in Biotechnology – University of Mumbai (2006-09 – 2009-05)