System1 Group Appoints Tristan Findlay as Managing Director of Innovation

System1, The Creative Effectiveness Platform that harnesses the power of emotion to predict the commercial success of advertising and innovation for the world’s leading brands, has appointed Tristan Findlay as managing director of innovation. In this role, Tristan will lead System1’s innovation function, driving the development and growth of solutions that help brands confidently optimise their ideas.

“System1 is at the forefront of helping brands understand the emotional drivers behind effective advertising and innovation,” said James Gregory, CEO, System1. “Tristan’s deep expertise in innovation and his passion for fostering growth, both in business and in people, make him the perfect leader to drive this key pillar of our business forward.”

System1 launched its new Test Your Innovation platform in May 2024, which evaluates consumers’ emotional responses to predict the commercial success of new products, taglines, brand characters, logos, concepts, packaging and more. Tristan’s extensive experience in innovation and commercialisation will be instrumental in expanding the platform’s adoption and impact in organisations around the world.

Tristan brings nearly two decades of market research experience focused on innovation. His career began at Nielsen BASES, where he partnered with some of the world’s largest FMCG organisations, leading projects across global markets. In 2018, Tristan joined Zappi as head of innovation practice, where he designed and launched new solutions, scaled partnerships, and helped drive growth for the innovation function. Later, he served as chief growth officer at MMR, a global research company specialising in product and sensory innovation.

Most recently, Tristan held leadership roles at Toluna, including UK sales director and group commercial director. While at Toluna, he led the company’s largest UK commercial team and championed initiatives like the development of new corporate values for 2,500 employees. He also served as the UK AI champion, advising on the use of AI to enhance research capabilities.

Commenting on his new role, Tristan said, “System1 has revolutionised how brands measure and predict the success of creative and ideas through the power of emotion. I am thrilled to join such an innovative organisation and help shape the future of its innovation platform. I look forward to collaborating with the team and our clients to drive impactful growth.”

For more information about System1, visit here.