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Behavioural Insights
Thoughtful analysis of how psychology shapes financial behaviour, spending habits, and long term decision making, translating academic research into practical insights that help individuals make smarter, more intentional financial choices.


Interview with Ishaan Prinz
Ishaan is a Behavioral Scientist at Vanguard, where he applies insights from psychology and economics to shape business and product strategy to help retail investors make healthier financial decisions. Prior to Vanguard, Ishaan was a Human Capital Consultant at KPMG in Singapore. He holds an MA in Behavioral and Decision Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Psychology from Haverford College. Outside of work, he can be found on the tennis court, playing boa

Merle van den Akker
2 days ago6 min read


Interview with Barnabas Szaszi
Barnabas builds large-scale behavior change projects with a strong focus on social impact, aiming to support vulnerable individuals and groups. He leads the Behavioral Science Center at the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies and the Behavioral Science Lab at Eötvös Loránd University. Among other initiatives, he leads one of the world’s largest happiness research projects, currently running across 70 countries. He holds dual degrees in psychology and economics and earned

Merle van den Akker
May 47 min read


Interview with Daniel McGrath
Daniel is Professor of Psychology and the Associate Dean of Research and Scholarships at the University of Calgary, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI). His research program is primarily focused on behavioural pharmacology, personality, addictions, and risk-taking behaviour. Another major research area is the role of cognitive biases in disordered gambling. Specifically, he is interested in the influence of attention to visual

Merle van den Akker
Apr 209 min read


Interview with Shane Timmons
Shane joined the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit (BRU) in 2017 as a postdoctoral research fellow and is currently a Senior Research Officer. His research uses theory and methods from behavioural science to inform policy across a range of domains, including environmental behaviour, financial decision-making, and health. A present focus of his research is on how individuals and systems interact in ways that have implications for climate policy. Shane holds a PhD in Cognitive P

Merle van den Akker
Apr 69 min read


Interview with Eliana Polemeni
Eliana is currently a Director in the Behavioral Science Center at Ipsos, where she applies a behavioral science lens to market research. Previously, she was a Principal Researcher in the Behavioral Science Department at the Booth School of Business. She received her PhD in Management and Organizations from the Kellogg School of Management. Her dissertation focused on beliefs about fulfillment at work, and how those beliefs can be miscalibrated. Who or what got you into behav

Merle van den Akker
Mar 237 min read


Interview with David Villa
David is a Behavioural Science Leader at BeWay Consulting, where he operates at the intersection of behavioural science, experimentation, and organizational change. His experience has largely focused on the Latin American financial sector. He has collaborated with banks across multiple countries in the region to apply behavioural insights and turn evidence into practical growth marketing strategies that improve user adoption and customer experience. He does so by working clos

Merle van den Akker
Mar 97 min read


Interview with Ben Brikman
Ben is a Behavioral Scientist at Vanguard, where he works with a cross-functional team to improve financial outcomes for investors. Previously, he was a member of the interdisciplinary Behavior Change and Design team at Cityblock Health, applying behavioral science methods to improve health outcomes for marginalized communities. Before that, Ben helped launch and support the Behavioral Science Lab at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), an initiative focused on bringing human-cente

Merle van den Akker
Feb 239 min read


Interview with Juan de Rus Gutiérrez
Juan is the Managing Partner at Neovantas and Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at IE Business School, University Carlos III of Madrid, and the University of Barcelona. Specialized in banking, insurance, and telecommunications, he has led projects across Europe and Latin America focused on the application of behavioral data to improve revenue, profitability, and customer experience. Juan holds an MSc in Behavioral Science with distinction from the London S

Merle van den Akker
Feb 98 min read


Interview with Elisabeth Costa
Lis is the Chief of Innovation and Partnerships at the Behavioural Insights Team, leading global partnerships and the development of new service offerings and emerging areas of expertise, with extensive experience across the UK, Australia, and the United States and particular expertise at the intersection of behavioural science and AI, market regulation, and economic policy. Previously Managing Director of BIT UK, she led flagship programmes applying behavioural science to ec

Merle van den Akker
Jan 268 min read
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