Stephan Shakespeare is CEO and Co-Founder of YouGov plc. One of the pioneers of Internet research, Stephan has been the driving force behind YouGov’s innovation-led strategy.

Following the company’s floatation on AIM in 2005, Stephan has driven YouGov forward into a number of new international markets. In 2006, YouGov acquired a Dubai-based market research firm (Siraj) and in 2007 it further expanded by acquiring market research firms in the USA (Polimetrix), Germany (Psychonomics) and the Nordics (Zapera). Between 2009 and 2011, YouGov expanded its US operations with three further acquisitions (Clear Horizons, Harrison Group and Definitive Insights). Each of these acquisitions has been re-branded as YouGov and form part of the YouGov Group. YouGov has also recently started up new operations in France and Asia. Today, the YouGov Group operates in over 30 countries worldwide.

Stephan is a regular commentator on current affairs and business issues. He writes daily polling analysis for The Times’ Red Box briefing, a weekly column for City A.M. and is also regular contributor to the BBC’s Daily Politics programme.  

In 2012, Stephan was appointed by the UK Government to chair the Data Strategy Board, a ministerial advisory board. Shortly thereafter, Stephan was asked by the UK Government to lead an independent review into the growth opportunities of, and how to widen access to, the wealth of information held by the public sector; the Shakespeare Review was published in May 2013.

In addition to YouGov, Stephan also founded PoliticsHome.com. He has been a member of the Government’s Public Sector Transparency Board and a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. Stephan also sits on the Advisory Board of the Oxford-Man Institute of Quantitative Finance.