About Us
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Our Story
For over 35 years, Various Views Research has been the Midwest’s leading female-owned market research and consumer insight firm. We’ve earned our reputation one exceptional project at a time—by genuinely caring about our clients’ success.
We don’t just collect data. We create research experiences grounded in trust, respect, and precision. When you succeed, we succeed.
ABOUT THE PROCESS
Why Choose Various Views Research
Personally Screened. Every Single Time.
While most firms lean heavily on automation, we blend technology with personal conversations—our expert recruiters personally screen every participant before extending an invitation. No hoping they read the questions correctly. Just genuine dialogue that ensures only truly qualified, articulate respondents make it into your study. It’s why our show rates are consistently higher and our insights are consistently richer.
50,000 Local Voices. One Trusted Partner.
We’ve built the largest consumer panel in greater Cincinnati—50,000 qualified households ready to provide authentic insights. Unlike larger competitors with 170+ professionals across multiple offices, we offer deep local expertise without the complexity. You get national-caliber research with genuine Midwest understanding—and the personal touch that only comes from being truly rooted in this community.
Female-Owned. Community-Led. Results-Driven.
As the Midwest’s leading female-owned market research firm for over 30 years, we bring a perspective that matters. Our owner Sharon Lally doesn’t just run VVR—she serves as Mayor of Fairfax, giving back to the community she’s called home her entire life. We understand this region authentically because we live here, lead here, and invest here.
One Person. Your Entire Project.
Tired of being passed between sales, project management, and execution teams? So were our clients. That’s why you’ll work with a single dedicated expert from first conversation to final deliverable. No handoffs. No repeating yourself. Just one person who knows your project inside and out and genuinely cares about your success.
We Don't Just Report. We Build Solutions With You.
While most firms position themselves as delivering “fresh insights” or helping you “uncover insights,” we go further. Through ProtoStorming, ClaimStorming, and proven synthesis frameworks, we transform findings into actionable innovations. From journey mapping to early prototyping to business model development—we partner with you beyond the report to create strategies you can actually execute.
35+ Years. 150+ Combined Staff Experience. Zero Ego.
Unlike Top 25 firms with multiple offices and complex organizational structures, we’ve stayed focused on what matters: exceptional recruiting, expert facilitation, and insights that drive real business decisions. We’re large enough to handle sophisticated multi-market projects, yet small enough that you’re never just another account number.
OUR TEAM
The Team Behind Various Views Research
Sharon Lally
Owner & mayor of Fairfax
As a Cincinnati native with nearly 40 years in the market research industry, Sharon has built Various Views Research into a powerhouse for consumer insights. After honing her expertise at industry leaders like Burke Marketing Research and Harris Interactive, she founded VVR in 2007. Under her leadership, the firm has secured its place as a Top 10 market research facility for ten consecutive years and built the region’s largest consumer database.
Mike Donovan
VP of Insights & Innovation Services
Mike Donovan has spent over 30 years helping businesses unlock their next big idea. As a market research and innovation strategist, he specializes in turning consumer insights into breakthrough products and growth strategies across CPG, B2B, and Pharma industries. With a background in engineering and marketing from the University of Cincinnati, Mike brings both analytical rigor and strategic creativity to every challenge.
Mike founded Donovan Research in 1997, leading the firm for over two decades and facilitating thousands of consumer research sessions for industry leaders like Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Pfizer, Walmart, and many others. He has since held senior roles in package design, innovation strategy, and insights leadership — and today serves as VP of Insights & Innovation Services at Various Views Research.
What sets Mike apart is his rare ability to merge technical and creative thinking with genuine empathy. He has a gift for connecting with clients and consumers alike, cutting through complexity to uncover what people truly need. Entrepreneurial by nature and relentlessly curious, Mike doesn’t just consult, he partners with businesses to help them reach new heights.
Joe Ottaviani
Director of Business Development
Joe Ottaviani brings more than five decades of market research experience and a genuine passion for understanding what makes people tick. His career has spanned virtually every corner of the industry, from early roles as an MR Analyst at a Fortune 100 consumer products company to leadership positions in data collection, client services, and business development at some of the field’s most respected firms.
Beyond his client work, Joe has been deeply committed to strengthening the research community itself. He served as President of the Marketing Research Association (2004–2005), chaired MRII (2001–2002), and earned the MRA Award of Excellence in 2006 — a testament to his dedication to elevating the entire profession.
Today, as Director of Business Development at Various Views Research, Joe continues doing what he does best: connecting with clients, solving complex research challenges, and mentoring the next generation of researchers.
Jack Riegler
Operations Analyst & Project Coordinator
Meet Jack — or as his colleagues call him, The Wizard. If a project is running smoothly, he’s likely the reason why.
Jack is the operational backbone of our research projects, quietly ensuring every moving part is accounted for from the earliest stages of participant recruiting through to study completion. As an Operations Analyst, Project Coordinator, and Database Engineer, he manages relationships with external vendors to keep projects on track and data integrity airtight — because he knows our clients depend on accurate, trustworthy analysis.
His calm, precise approach to problem-solving means nothing falls through the cracks. Clean data, met deadlines, and successful outcomes are simply what Jack delivers.
He doesn’t need the spotlight. He just makes sure everything works.
Sharyl Strunk
Senior Project Manager
With 35 years of market research experience, Sharyl brings a depth of knowledge that is hard to come by. Her career began in the field and phone center, giving her a ground-level understanding of the industry that still informs her work today. Along the way, she built her expertise at some of the industry’s most respected firms, including Burke, MRSI, and Ipsos.
Sharyl is driven by a genuine curiosity about consumer psychology — what people think, why they think it, and what moves them to act. Meticulous, organized, and deeply client-focused, she takes pride in delivering research experiences that are seamless from start to finish.
Facility Overview
VVR Cincinnati Facility Layout
QUALITY & COMPLIANCE
Our Commitment to International Research Standards
Various Views Research aligns with the internationally recognized ISO 20252 standard for market, opinion, and social research. Our processes reflect best practices across sampling, fieldwork, observation, self-completion research, and data management— supporting reliable, defensible insights.
The annex areas below summarize the operational domains reflected in our Statement of Applicability.
Defined recruitment protocols and documented sample controls supporting representativeness and screening integrity.
Standardized procedures governing qualitative and quantitative execution across in-person and online environments.
Established controls for in-person observational research conducted within structured facility environments.
Defined standards for online research execution, virtual qualitative sessions, and digital behavioral methods.
Structured processes supporting self-administered research instruments including concept and tracking studies.
Documented controls across data handling, processing, storage, and quality assurance procedures.
Let’s Turn Insight Into Action
Whether you’re launching, optimizing, or validating, we’ll make sure your next move is backed by the right voices.