Thorsten Guksch - Asking the Right Question
AigoraCast
Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Thorsten Guksch, International Head of Data Science at SAM Sensory and Consumer Research. Thorsten and I share a lot of common interests, and I loved taking a deep dive with him on turning open-ended consumer feedback into structured sensory insight. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Short Bio Thorsten Guksch is International Head of Data Science at SAM Sensory and Consumer Research in Zurich, where...
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Roberto Salas - Plan the Plan
AigoraCast
In this episode, I’m speaking with Roberto Salas, a Global Consumer and Sensory Insights Executive based out of Princeton, New Jersey. With over two decades in the FMCG industry, his career has spanned the globe, starting in Mexico and taking him through South Africa, the UK, Latin America, and eventually to his current work at IFF. We had a fantastic conversation about bridging technical sensory science with deep consumer understanding, and how he translates complex human behavior into actionable commercial growth strategies. Please join me in welcoming Roberto Salas. Roberto Salas is a...
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Paula Varela Tomasco - Don't Forget to Think
AigoraCast
Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoy speaking with Dr. Paula Varela. Paula and I shared a fascinating conversation regarding the role and risks of AI in consumer research, before discussing how sensory science can help drive healthier and more sustainable food choices. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future. Social Links & Resources LinkedIn: Organizations: Nofima & Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Expertise Areas: Sensory &...
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Michael Nestrud - Taming the Dragon
AigoraCast
"In this episode, I’m speaking with Michael Nestrud, a dedicated researcher of the human experience who uniquely bridges the gap between rigorous sensory science and the culinary arts. Based in Chicago, Michael is currently with First Position Training and Consulting, where his driving mission is to make 'product evaluation and sensory science for everyone.' We had a fantastic conversation about how his culinary background informs his research, and why democratizing product evaluation is so critical for modern food innovation. LinkedIn: Company: First Position Training and Consulting...
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Greg Fodor - Opening Portals
AigoraCast
Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Greg Fodor, an innovator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Greg and I had a fascinating conversation about the future of immersive experiences, the limitations of current VR hardware, and how headset-free technology could completely transform the way consumers interact with digital environments and products. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Social Links & Resources LinkedIn: ...
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Nicolas Pineau - Making Sense of AI
AigoraCast
Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Nicolas Pineau of Data Insights. Nicolas shared a lot about his experiences both applying and teaching AI within sensory and consumer science, and I heartily agreed with his perspective that we are just at the beginning of an exciting change in our field. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Social Links & Resources LinkedIn: Company: Data Insight (Founder) Expertise Areas: *...
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Josh Cook - Agents Do Work
AigoraCast
Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Cook of FlowAltDelete, a Microsoft MVP and true master of M365 Copilot. Many of our clients and students use copilot as their daily driver, so it was great to have an expert on Copilot on the show to share his excitement about the powerful new way of working it enables. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Josh Cook is a Microsoft MVP in Business Applications and a...
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Decio Cataldi and Matteo Bonfini - What a Time to Be Alive
AigoraCast
welcome back everyone to another episode of AigoraCast. Today, I'm very happy to have Decio Cataldi and Matteo Bonfini from Adacta International on the show. Decio Cataldi is the executive director at Adacta International, a leader in consumer and sensory research. In his role, Decio oversees the company's strategic and financial direction with a specific focus on driving growth through technological innovation. With a background in strategy consulting, M&A, and restructuring, he brings analytic rigor to the field, spearheading Adacta's efforts to integrate AI into sensory and consumer...
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Damir Torrico - Always Ask
AigoraCast
Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Damir Torrico, an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I particularly enjoyed our discussion on why curiosity is so vital, and specifically how "always asking" and pushing back on AI outputs is the key to achieving real fluency with these new tools. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Short Bio Dr. Damir Torrico is an Assistant Professor at the University...
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Wei Qin, PhD - Stretch your Limits
AigoraCast
Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I caught up with my longtime friend, Dr. Wei Qin, Global Director of the Insights Center of Excellence at Ingredion. I particularly enjoyed her story about a flavorist using AI to find a molecule they hadn't considered. It is a great example of her view of AI as a "stretcher" for human limits. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Social Links & Resources LinkedIn: Company: Latest Book: Gen X Asian Americans: From...
info_outlineHi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora.
In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Thorsten Guksch, International Head of Data Science at SAM Sensory and Consumer Research.
Thorsten and I share a lot of common interests, and I loved taking a deep dive with him on turning open-ended consumer feedback into structured sensory insight.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future!
Short Bio
Thorsten Guksch is International Head of Data Science at SAM Sensory and Consumer Research in Zurich, where he combines sensory and consumer science with advanced data science. His work focuses on translating complex sensory and behavioral data into clear, practical insight about how people perceive and experience products.
Over a decade with SAM, Thorsten has contributed to national and international research and helped develop innovative analytical approaches. His interests include multisensory interactions, drivers of liking, machine learning, synthetic data, and automated methods for turning open-ended consumer language into structured sensory information.
Thorsten holds a Master’s in Food and Beverage Innovation from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and previously studied Food and Nutrition at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University. His research and industry work bridge rigorous sensory measurement, consumer understanding, and modern statistical modeling.
Social Links & Resources
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LinkedIn: Thorsten Guksch
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Expertise Areas:
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Sensory & Consumer Research
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Data Science, Statistical Modeling & Machine Learning
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Multisensory Product Experience
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NLP & Open-Ended Response Analysis