Dr Shanthi Robertson  |   Executive Director

Shanthi is a social scientist with extensive experience in academic and applied research settings. She has a strong background in leading research teams and managing large-scale projects.

At The Insight Centre, Shanthi leads research engagements, with a focus on innovative methods to enhance the quality and impact of client deliverables and plays a strategic leadership role in the overall vision and direction of the Centre. She oversees day-to-day operations, ensuring efficiency in project delivery, and maintaining strong relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders.

Before joining The Insight Centre, Shanthi held significant academic positions at Western Sydney University’s Institute for Culture and Society as an Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, where she built research revenue and excellence through successful grant and tender bids and authoring high-impact books and journal articles.

Shanthi holds a PhD in International Studies from RMIT University and a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Hons) from the University of Western Australia.

She is driven by delivering strong impact for both organisations and broader social good and supporting evidence-driven approaches to support social and policy change.

Dr Anna Denejkina  |   Managing Director

Dr Anna Denejkina is an award winning mixed-methods and interdisciplinary researcher with over a decade of research experience. She has led and conducted national and international research in sectors including health and wellbeing, higher education, government, technology.

At The Insight Centre, Anna leads research across audience and behavioural insights, program evaluation, and wellbeing, with a focus on delivering actionable and meaningful real-world impact. She also leads the Centre’s thought leadership initiatives, shaping conversations and advancing knowledge in these areas.

Prior to joining The Insight Centre, Anna was the Research Director at YouthInsight and Lecturer at Western Sydney University. Her research has been published internationally in peer-reviewed journals and academic books and has been featured in the media.

Anna holds a PhD in the Social Sciences from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and is an Adjunct Fellow at the Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University.

Anna is passionate about research innovation, methods and ethics, and achieving real impact through research-informed decision making. Central to her approach is a belief in the importance of understanding lived experience and applying a human-centric, people-first lens to research design, insights, and outcomes.

Dr Simon Chambers  |  Director, Data Science and Social Intelligence

Simon is a social and data scientist with extensive experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research across academia, industry and consulting.

At The Insight Centre, Simon leads social intelligence research. He leverages large datasets, machine learning and large language models to develop insights into how online audiences understand and engage with various issues. An Accredited Research with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), he also applies specialist statistical analysis – including geospatial analysis, Bayesian modelling and network analysis.

Before joining The Insight Centre, Simon held research, strategy and management roles in the arts and media sectors. His experience includes working with organisations such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Australian Music Centre and the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).

Simon holds a PhD in Sociology from Western Sydney University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Honours; University Medal) from the University of Technology, Sydney. In addition to his role at The Insight Centre, Simon is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The MARCS Institute at Western Sydney University.

Simon is driven by applying the latest advancements in how we can generate and analyse research data to deliver impactful insights for clients, enabling them to drive meaningful social change.

Dr Emilie Baganz  |  Research Operations and Delivery Manager

Emilie is a PhD-qualified social researcher with over seven years of experience designing and delivering mixed-method research across a range of social and policy issues. 

At The Insight Centre, Emilie leads the development of evidence-based public reports that support clients’ advocacy efforts and help drive meaningful change. She brings expertise in project management, quantitative analysis, and reporting, and plays a key role in shaping the organisation’s operations to ensure research is conducted to the highest ethical and industry standards. 

Before joining The Insight Centre in 2022, Emilie worked as a Research Officer at Western Sydney University, where she coordinated complex, multi-partner research projects on topics including employment, creative industries, and migration. 

Emilie holds a PhD in Social Sciences (2022), as well as Master’s degrees in Urban Research (2018) and Migration Studies (2013).

She is committed to producing high-quality, ethical research that informs social policy, strengthens communities, and contributes to lasting positive change. 

Nadine Kleine  |  Senior Consultant

Nadine is an experienced social researcher with over 9 years of delivering evidence-based research across interdisciplinary projects. Trained in mixed methods, she brings a strong focus on qualitative methodologies to her work.

At The Insight Centre, Nadine focuses on stakeholder research projects that explore people’s perceptions of organisations and their relationships with them. She also works on audience research projects, including community sentiment and message testing.

Before joining The Insight Centre, she worked as a Senior Consultant at EY Sweeney, where she delivered social and market research projects for government and commercial clients. She also held research roles at academic institutes in Germany, focusing on the ethical and social aspects of technological change.

She holds a Master of Arts in Culture & Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Political Science and Public Administration.

Nadine is driven to use research to address pressing social, economic, political and ecological challenges. She is passionate about helping organisations better understand the people and systems they work with – and translating insights into evidence-informed action.

Reed Garvin  |  Data Science Consultant 

Reed Garvin is a quantitative social researcher and data scientist with over six years of experience applying advanced data methods to inform public policy. His combined skills in applied statistics, public policy, and machine learning, with practical experience building dashboards, APIs, and data pipelines, allow him to translate complex data into actionable insights for non-profits and public-sector clients. 

At The Insight Centre, Reed conducts technical research that blends survey analysis, large-scale text and social-media modelling, and interactive visualisation. He bridges the gap between technical and non-technical by turning analytical results into clear narratives that inform decisions and drive impact. 

Prior to joining The Insight Centre, Reed was a Data Science Consultant at PD (a state-owned consultancy in Germany), where he developed dashboards and data solutions used by federal and state ministries. 

Reed holds an MSc in Data Science for Public Policy from the Hertie School and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. 

Reed’s passion stems from years of political work, leveraging untapped data and drawing inspiration from the tangible benefits that data-driven decision-making brings to citizens and policymakers alike.