Phil Cook

Phil Cook (MA, Trent University; BA, Boston University) is the Senior Research Director at City Square Associates. Phil is responsible for overseeing both qualitative and quantitative research projects, beginning from the preliminary design stage all the way through reporting and implementation. He considers himself a “project management wizard” and takes pride in conducting research in an efficient, collaborative, and timely way, while also appreciating the value of slowing down to approach research questions in a mindful way. He’ll also occasionally step into the moderator’s seat, and apply his RIVA training to focus groups, triads, IDIs, and other qualitative environments both in-person and online.

His passions lie in the data visualization—finding creative ways to tell stories beyond PowerPoints, tables, and spreadsheets—and ethnographic research that emphasizes the full range of experiences behind the often rigidly-defined “consumer.” Phil’s approach to market research is also deeply rooted in the social sciences, which reflect his original academic background training in anthropology and archaeology. In his seven years with City Square, he’s had the opportunity to work on project spanning from public and commercial media to secondary and post-secondary education, food and dining, travel, CPG, and the public sector.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, biking, historical non-fiction, stumbling onto interesting documentaries and seeing live music