Centre Stage is an interview series aimed at empowering women in insights with the confidence of being in the spotlight.

For this edition of Centre Stage, I spoke with Vanessa Kwok, Junior Data Scientist at Nepa, about her debut on stage as a YES Awards contestant at this year’s ESOMAR Congress. Despite her initial nerves, she delivered a stellar presentation that earned her second place. Having watched her shine in the moment, I couldn’t wait to hear more about her journey and gather some advice to inspire others who may be considering stepping onto the stage for the first time.
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Iosetta: Hi Vanessa, first, congratulations on your achievement! It’s great to be here with you today. Let’s dive straight in, what motivated you to get on stage and speak for the first time?

Vanessa: To be honest, it was mainly my co-workers who pushed me to apply for the ESOMAR YES Awards. Before that, my only experience with public speaking was in school. But when the opportunity came up, I realized I had something valuable to share with others in market research. I thought, “Why not? There’s no harm in trying.” I knew it would push me out of my comfort zone, and that was a big motivator. It felt like a chance to grow personally and professionally.

I: The ESOMAR YES Awards presentations are difficult to deliver with only a few minutes available. How did you prepare for it? What resources did you use?

V: My team was my biggest resource. I practiced in front of them constantly, which helped a lot with my nerves. Everyone says your friends and colleagues can be your toughest critics, and I found that to be true—but it was so helpful. They have more experience in market research than I do, so they gave me valuable feedback.

I also watched previous YES Awards presentations on the ESOMAR website. Seeing others doing what I was about to do helped me visualize what it would be like on stage and made the experience feel a little less daunting.

I: It’s great that you have such a supporting team. Outside of work, is there anyone who inspires you?

V: This might sound a bit cliché, but my mom. She’s such a strong, hardworking woman in a senior position, and having her as a role model made me believe that being in leadership is achievable for me too. That confidence carries over to other areas, not just public speaking.

I: Having a strong female role model is so important to shape our confidence, and I love that yours is your mum! Many people struggle with imposter syndrome. Did you experience this, and how did you overcome it?

V: Oh, absolutely. Imposter syndrome was the main thing holding me back. I kept thinking, “I haven’t been in market research for long” and “I don’t have much public speaking experience.” It took a lot of mental work to remind myself that just applying for the competition and getting on stage was already an achievement.

I also realized that the audience genuinely wanted to hear what I had to say. Once I shifted my focus to sharing my work and ideas rather than worrying about what people thought of me, it became less overwhelming.

I: I’m curious, after all that hard work, and nerves, did you enjoy the experience?

V: Yes, I did. It was incredibly satisfying to know I’d gone through all that and achieved a great result—I came in second place! But if I had to do it again, I’d still be nervous, just less so than the first time.

I: What advice would you give to others, especially women, considering their first public speaking opportunity?

V: Go for it! The personal and career development you gain from speaking outweighs the nerves and self-doubt. Something that motivated me was knowing I could inspire others. After my presentation, someone told me they wanted to encourage more young women to apply for the YES Awards after seeing me on stage. That moment made all the stress and preparation worth it.

I: That’s amazing! So, what do you think companies in the industry can do to support young women like yourself in public speaking and leadership?

V: Representation is key. Seeing people you identify with in leadership or speaking roles makes a huge difference—it did for me. Companies should also consider offering mentoring opportunities. Women in Research does this well, but companies themselves could pair new professionals with experienced mentors to guide them in their careers.

I: Thanks Vanessa, and again congratulations. Any final thoughts for the WIRe community?

V: Many women struggle with imposter syndrome, but it’s important to remind ourselves that we belong in these spaces. We deserve to be here, whether it’s on stage or in leadership roles. If I, as one of the youngest people at the YES Awards with relatively little experience, can get on stage and succeed, others can too!