Searce team

Lex van Boeckel holds degrees in business administration studies, social geography and in specific trainings in working with developing countries (COS and NCH). His language skills include English, French, German Japanese and some Spanish. Lex started his career by working for three years in Japan, at Nippondenso (Toyota Group) and was involved in sales of automotive OEM parts to leading European car manufacturers. A further three years of sales and marketing experience was acquired at Nippondenso Europe in the Netherlands. For four years he worked at TWBA/Hakuhodo, a major European-Japanese market communication group with Canon Europe, Hoya Lens and Nissin Foods being the main clients.

In 1996, Lex started his agency, called Searce, specializing in market research for 20 different consumer goods and food products in Europe. He is an original inventive thinker being able to communicate his vision to others and teaming up to achieve great things. He always aims to make sure that ‘when you do something, you do it right’. He want to use his business experience to ensure that Searce can contribute to the growth and sustainability of SMEs, especially in developing countries. For him markets is about understanding the real country, cultural and consumer experience.

Ian Liddell has a degree in business management and has further specialist qualifications in marketing and international relations (Peace Studies). As well as English, he has a working knowledge of the French, Spanish and German languages. Ian began his business career working in sales for a Spanish wine producer, and then moved into marketing consultancy, primarily working on advertising and promotional campaigns for major food brands in the UK. His key strengths are strategic and creative thinking, planning and analysis.

Since 1999, Ian has also applied his extensive marketing experience to the developing world, in particular by being involved in promoting fair trade, including various consultancy projects with leading fair trade organisations such as Traidcraft, Oxfam and the Fairtrade Foundation. This work has also involved product development projects in India (bamboo and stainless steel tableware), Pakistan (leather footballs) and Ethiopia (fresh vegetables and flowers).

Ian has been working with Searce since 2003 and has subsequently developed varied experience in European marketing research, particularly in a number of consumer goods markets.