CIRQ (the Certification Institute for Research Quality), an International Standards Organization (ISO) audit and certification body and a subsidiary of the Insights Association, has announced its Board of Directors for 2026.
Alexandrine de Montera, CPO and ISO Quality Officer at Full Circle Research (pictured), has been named Chair of the CIRQ Board of Directors.
Two new members join the Board in 2026:
• Sanjeev Dixit, Vice President, Reason Research
• Katharina Weiss, Global Head of Research Consulting, quantilope
They will serve alongside returning Board members:
• David Rothstein, CEO, RTi Research
• Matt Benard, Vice President, Governance, Risk, & Compliance, Escalent
“CIRQ plays a critical role in strengthening trust and accountability across the global insights industry,” said Alexandrine de Montera, Chair of the CIRQ Board of Directors. “I’m honored to welcome Katharina Weiss and Sanjeev Dixit to the Board and to continue working alongside David Rothstein and Matt Benard. This combination of new perspectives and experienced leadership will be instrumental as we uphold CIRQ’s independence, rigor, and impartiality, while supporting the continued growth of our ISO 20252 and ISO 27001 audit and certification services worldwide.”
Board members serve two-year terms and provide fiduciary oversight and strategic advisory support for CIRQ. Their work focuses on expanding new client opportunities and supporting the continued growth of CIRQ’s audit and certification services for the global insights industry.
“The whole CIRQ team is looking forward to another strong year of serving our valued existing clients and an ever-growing list of new clients,” said Juliana Wood, Managing Director of CIRQ. “Our priorities include supporting the updated version of ISO 20252, which will publish later this year containing enhanced requirements covering data quality and AI/emerging technologies; and increasing our program offerings to include ISO 27701:2025, the privacy information management system standard which aligns to GDPR that can now be attained in combination with ISO 27001:2022 or as a standalone certification.”
Anita Watkins, CEO of the Insights Association, and Juliana Wood, Managing Director of CIRQ, will serve in ex-officio (non-voting) positions.