At Just Worldwide, our people are our greatest strength. They sit at the heart of everything we do and every success we achieve. Through our team spotlights, we introduce you to the individuals behind the work, sharing their journeys into market research, their achievements, and what they enjoy most about their roles. In this edition, we’re delighted to introduce Iwona Mierzejewska from Just Worldwide Poland. In the interview, Iwona reflects on her journey to market research, setting up the JWW Poland office and the milestone projects she has completed.
Tell us about your journey in market research so far
My route into market research was not planned. Nearly 21 years ago, I was in my final year at university, completing a degree in neuropsychology and undertaking a hospital internship where I worked with post‑stroke patients. At the time, my intention was to qualify as a neuropsychologist and specialise in neurorehabilitation. As often happens, however, a chance opportunity redirected my path and shaped the career I have today.
While looking for a part‑time summer job, I applied for a receptionist role at a large market research agency. During the interview, we started talking about my academic work, my experience analysing data in SPSS, and conducting patient interviews. Instead of the receptionist role, I was offered a position as an assistant in the healthcare market research department and that was where my journey truly began.
From there, I became deeply involved in healthcare research: moderating interviews, travelling for fieldwork, analysing data, and preparing reports and presentations for domestic and international clients. I enjoyed the environments we worked in, from hospital corridors and physician offices to in‑home patient interviews, and by the people behind the data.
After a short break from market research, I moved to London, where I worked as a project manager for a global fieldwork agency. A few years later, I returned to a research‑focused role and eventually back into healthcare fieldwork. Today, more than a decade later, I am still with Just Worldwide, working on complex healthcare studies and supporting the growth of our Poland and CEE offering.
The Just Worldwide Poland office is 10 years old in 2026. Looking back, what were the biggest milestones in establishing the team and growing the PL operation within Just Worldwide?
When I knew I would be returning to Poland after six years in London, Janusz offered me the opportunity to establish Just Worldwide’s Poland office in Warsaw. The real beginning came in August 2016, when we secured office space and formally launched the business. That was when the responsibility truly set in and when building a strong team became the priority.
The most important milestone was recruiting people with the right expertise. From the beginning, we were focused on building a full‑time, healthcare‑specialised team capable of working on complex projects for international clients. We were fortunate to find experienced specialists who not only delivered high‑quality work, but also supported and mentored newer team members as the operation grew.
Another key moment was repeat business. When clients requested to work with the Poland team again, it confirmed that the quality, consistency, and professionalism of our work were being recognised.
A particularly important step was developing in‑house capabilities to recruit difficult‑to‑reach patients. By building direct relationships with patient advocacy groups, online communities, and other organisations along with direct patient outreach. We gained much greater control over recruitment, engagement, and quality. This allowed us to take on more complex and sensitive projects with confidence.
You work extensively on moderation and complex market research projects. What do you believe sets your approach apart when it comes to handling challenging audiences, sensitive topics, or multi-market studies?
There are three factors that really define our approach.
First, we are deeply healthcare‑focused. The Poland team has extensive experience working on complex healthcare studies, and we have robust processes in place to manage both operational and methodological challenges effectively.
Second, we work very closely with Just Worldwide teams in other markets. That collaboration allows us to draw on hands‑on experience from colleagues who have worked in the same therapy areas or on similar studies, ensuring that our recommendations to clients are both practical and grounded in real‑world insight.
Third, we often recruit very specific audiences, such as patients or key opinion leaders, ourselves in Poland. That means we build trust with respondents before interviews even take place, which leads to more open conversations, stronger engagement, and higher‑quality data. This combination of expertise, collaboration, and direct involvement makes a real difference, especially when dealing with sensitive topics or complex‑to‑reach populations.
Thinking of projects in Poland, which project comes to mind when you think about the importance of local expertise and cultural understanding?
Two projects stand out.
One involved an extremely rare genetic condition, where even the study sponsor had concerns about recruitment feasibility. By working closely with patient advocacy groups, our team was able to connect with a significant proportion of the diagnosed patient population in Poland, exceeding expectations and demonstrating the power of local networks and trust.
Another project required careful sample diversification to reflect differences between urban and rural patients, as well as between those accessing private healthcare and those relying on NFZ, the Polish public healthcare system. A detailed understanding of the local healthcare landscape allowed us to advise on the most appropriate sample design and provide the client with a much more nuanced and accurate picture of patient experiences.
As Just Worldwide continues to strengthen its PL and CEE offering, what excites you most about the future, and what advice would you give clients considering fieldwork in the next 12 months?
What excites me most is that Poland and the wider CEE region are now clearly recognised as important healthcare markets in their own right, rather than simply extensions of broader European studies. We see this particularly in oncology, rare diseases, and innovative therapies.
My advice to clients planning fieldwork over the next 12 months is to engage local experts early. Discuss feasibility, recruitment strategies, and market‑specific nuances from the outset. While there are similarities across CEE markets, the differences between countries matter in healthcare research, and understanding those differences is key to getting the best possible insights.
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