CMA was founded on a simple belief that great research starts with knowing the category.
With over 40 years of combined experience in the Convenience Channel, we bring a depth of industry knowledge and contextual understanding that generalist agencies simply can't offer.
Who we are
Since 2016, we've been helping FMCG Manufacturers and Convenience Retailers turn insight into strategy.
What started as a two-person agency with a focused mission has grown into a specialist research business, but our founding principle hasn't changed. CMA exists at the intersection of Convenience industry expertise and research rigour. We don't learn your category when a brief arrives. We already know it.
CMA was founded by Brett and Corinne Barclay, who, between them, bring decades of experience across the Convenience Channel, FMCG suppliers, research agencies, sales, category, and activation. That breadth of background is what makes CMA different. Our team understands research methodology, how the channel works, what drives shopper behaviour, and what matters to the businesses operating within it.
Market Research Project Manager
Madelene Stefanou
Madelene brings nearly 4 years of market research experience and a strong grounding in consumer research and shopper behaviour across retail and FMCG categories. At CMA, she manages the Convenience Pulse® program end-to-end across all countries, overseeing fieldwork, producing reports, and delivering insights that give context and meaning to the results.
Madelene's background spans the full consultancy spectrum and a complete suite of research methodologies, with particular strength in quantitative data analytics. Her background and expertise are across project management, programming, fieldwork, panel management, and community management before stepping into her current role.
Senior Research Manager
Chris Barr
Chris has worked in the market research industry for over 12 years, with more than seven of those spent at CMA, making him one of the most experienced members of the team. He has worked across all of CMA's core offerings, including Shopper research, Convenience Pulse®, and bespoke programs, and has led each of them at different points in his career.
In his current role, Chris manages syndicated and bespoke Shopper programs from data collection through to insight delivery, building regular reporting frameworks and helping clients understand how shopper behaviour affects their specific category or store network. Previously, as Solutions Manager, he led the transition of Convenience Pulse to a bespoke survey platform and client dashboard across Australia, New Zealand, and the US.
Director
Corinne Barclay
Corinne brings more than 20 years of experience across FMCG suppliers, research agencies, sales, category management, and activation and a genuine passion for understanding what drives people to make the decisions they do. As co-founder and Director of CMA, she has been instrumental in expanding the business into new methodologies across Shopper, Consumer, and B2B research.
At CMA, Corinne leads programs that help retailers, suppliers, and channel partners understand shopper behaviour and customer needs, taking research from raw data through to clear, actionable recommendations. Her career spans senior roles at Coca-Cola Amatil, Campbell Arnott’s, Parmalat/Lactalis Australia, him! Australia, giving her a rare breadth of perspective across both the commercial and insights sides of the industry.
A respected industry voice, Corinne has been active in elevating the presence of women across the Convenience sector and serving as a moderator for the AACS Women in Convenience panel series. She holds a Certificate of Management with Distinction from Deakin University.
Our Team
Director
Brett Barclay
Brett is one of the most recognised figures in the Australian Convenience Channel, bringing over 25 years of experience across Convenience retail, FMCG, and shopper insights.
At CMA, Brett leads the Convenience Pulse® programs across Australia, New Zealand, and North America, delivering business relationship benchmarking for retailers and suppliers. He is the long-standing author of the annual AACS State of Industry Report, one of the sector's most widely referenced barometers of channel performance, and served as a Non-Executive Director of the AACS Board from 2008 to 2024. In 2019, he became the NACS Relationship Partner for Australia and New Zealand, contributing to APAC-level Convenience retail initiatives on a global stage.
Before CMA, Brett held senior roles at PepsiCo, Cadbury Schweppes, Sakata, and him! Australia across sales, category management, and executive leadership. A frequent industry speaker, he is known for translating complex data into clear, practical direction.
