This year is an especially big year for us here at Acumen as we’ll be celebrating our 20th year in October. What began as a vision two decades ago has grown into a leader in the fieldwork industry, and we couldn’t be prouder of the journey so far.
Let’s take you back to the beginning...
Acumen was started back in 2005 by Julie and Abi Fuller, in response to a seemingly large gap in the market for a proactive, dedicated, quality driven field agency.
At the time of Acumen being born, we were recruiting locally and had launched Aspect in 2002. As such, we saw various angles of the industry and noted a need that wasn’t being met adequately.
Our original strap line was the quote from John Rockefeller “the secret of success, is to do the common things uncommonly well” and we still stand by that.
And of course, there were many a hurdle along the way, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. The first year was anxiety inducing as we only had a few core clients and keeping them happy was the priority, not matter what!
Not to toot our own horn, but we’ve always had a proactive and can-do attitude, which meant there were a few sleepless nights trying to work out how to get the ultra-niche and challenging projects done. A healthcare project we did in Guatemala is particularly memorable!
But we are the people that “get stuff done” and we stand by that today. Abi even sometimes gets her hands stuck in recruiting as she just loves a challenge.
We have recruited the likes of Tommy Docherty of Man Utd, the Editor of Marie Claire, people with private jets and, well, anyone you can think of.
The world is small, and people are there to be found!
It’s not only the beginning that was challenging but over the years, we have successfully navigated some of the most challenging world events such as the 2008 financial crisis, Covid-19, and oh, many many pregnancies and challenging illnesses, and we still continue to thrive and evolve.
Finally, what we do wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic team, they are at the heart of what we do. Every individual at Acumen brings their best selves to each project, driven by a shared commitment to provide excellence for every client. Our team’s expertise, creativity, and dedication are the foundation of our success, and those who have worked directly with them know exactly what we mean. They are truly a testament to the quality of our work.
We’re sure 2025 will continue to be a whirlwind - there's never a dull moment!
As we slowly approach October, we can't wait to start sharing what we’ll be doing to celebrate 20 years of Acumen! This year truly is going to be exciting for us. We don’t want to give too much away but we’re even looking forward to announcing a brand-new podcast with special guests on every episode.
Rest assured, amongst all the fun and celebrations we’re still keeping an eye on rapid technological advancements such as AI and ensuring we are up to speed with the latest to navigate these in the best way for our clients in mind.
We look forward to the year ahead and invite you all to come along on this journey with us.
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