Our team members come from a broad range of backgrounds, and bring their unique perspectives to the work that we do. Please feel free to contact us, or engage with us on social media.
Luke Tryl
Executive Director, UK
As UK Director, Luke leads the organisation’s ground-breaking UK public opinion and thought leadership work. Luke has worked to shine a light on what the public thinks about topics as diverse as immigration, climate change, gender identity and mental health. With a focus on the nuances and complexity of public opinion, he has helped policymakers, business and civil society navigate issues often regarded as tricky and divisive.
Since starting work at More in Common Luke has overseen the development of More in Common’s in-house UK research agency and directs their regular programme of polling and focus groups. He is a regular commentator on UK public opinion across both print and broadcast media and has appeared on Radio 4’s Today Programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Times Radio and Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge. He has also written for various publications including the Times, Telegraph, Guardian, New Statesman and the Spectator. Before joining More in Common, Luke's career spanned politics, public opinion, and government. He served as a Special Advisor to Nicky Morgan during the Cameron administration and as Director of Strategy at the education inspectorate Ofsted.
James Blagden
Associate Director - Research and Insights
Before joining More in Common, Jim was Head of Politics & Polling at the thinktank Onward, where he worked on changing values and voting patterns of the electorate - and identified ‘Workington Man’ as the key swing voter ahead of the 2019 election.
Conleth Burns
Associate Director for Strategy and Development
Conleth joined More in Common in 2021. Since then, he has helped establish More in Common's consultancy and thought leadership work in the UK helping partners across politics, business and civil society to better navigate big challenges through better understanding the public's values and starting points on a range of issues from climate to refugee welcome to culture wars. Before joining More in Common, Conleth did campaigning work for the United World Project and community development work in his Northern Ireland hometown. He also holds a Law degree from the University of Oxford.
Jenna Cunningham
Research and Data Analyst
Jenna joined More in Common as a Research and Data Analyst in 2023. Her prior experience includes working for a UK Member of Parliament and as a data analyst specialising in qualitative survey analytics. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from the London School of Economics where her dissertation focused on public attitudes and behaviours towards the NHS.
Ed Hodgson
UK Research Manager
Ed joined More in Common after studying Geography at the University of Oxford. There, he focused on the ways in which social media platforms transform places in the UK and abroad, writing his dissertation on how Facebook community groups shape perceptions of crime in small English villages. At the same time, he led the content team at ClimateScience, an EdTech startup producing educational material about the science of climate change.
Anouschka Rajah
Research and Data Analyst
Anouschka joined More in Common in 2023 as a Research and Data Analyst. Prior to this she worked at global asset manager BlackRock in the Risk and Quantitative Analysis department, and gained voluntary experience with non-profits. Anouschka holds a Master's degree in Mathematics from the University of Durham and is based in London.
Chris Annous
Associate
Chris joined More in Common from strategic communications consultancy FGS Global where he advised FTSE100 and high-profile private companies on their corporate reputation and positioning. Chris specialised in Government Affairs and the leveraging of research and insights to inform the development of communications strategies.
Before FGS, Chris worked for the Liberal Democrats in the London Assembly and on their 2021 London Mayoral Election. As part of the party’s campaign for race equality, Chris helped to lead efforts to diversify the party’s representation. Chris is a graduate in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford and recently represented Ghana in the African Rugby Sevens 2024 Olympic Qualifiers.
Lisa Heinzel
Grants Associate
Prior to joining More in Common in April 2023, Lisa worked for the international peacebuilding organisation Conciliation Resources, where she led a portfolio of peacebuilding projects in the Central African Republic. She started her career at the International Crisis Group and the West Africa Peacebuilding Network in Senegal. Lisa holds a French-German Master’s degree in conflict and development studies from the University of Münster and Sciences Po Lille.
Julie Kirkbride
Senior Adviser
Julie is a Senior Advisor at More in Common and works with our partners and clients to help them design better strategies and communications to resonate with the public and navigate British politics at a national and local level. Julie served as MP from Bromsgrove between 1997 and 2010, before that she was a journalist for the Daily Telegraph, BBC and ITN. Julie is a Board Member of Volunteering Matters and the New Schools Network, and previously served on the board of Ofsted.
Tim Dixon
Co-founder
Tim is a social entrepreneur who has started businesses and nonprofits in the US, the UK and Australia, where he was born. He trained as an economist, worked as a tech sector lawyer for law firm Baker & McKenzie from 1999 to 2004 and built a leading educational publishing business that was acquired by Pearson Australia in 2004. From 2004 to 2010 he worked in senior political roles, including as economic adviser and chief speechwriter for two Prime Ministers. He has lived and worked between New York and London for the past decade, co-founding social change agency Purpose Europe in 2013 and helping to start social movement organizations around the issue of modern day slavery, the Syrian crisis, the Colombian peace process, economic inequality, gun control and civic participation. Tim serves on the boards of organizations in the US, UK and Australia.
Rubeena Hassam
Senior Global Operations Associate
Rubeena comes to More in Common from sharedserviceslink, a small events company, from which she brings 5 years of operations experience working in a start-up environment.