In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Glenn Fleischman talk with Michael Nevski, Director of Global Insights at Visa, about how AI, affluent consumers, and the gig economy are reshaping payment trends and brand strategy. Drawing on his career spanning roles at Danaher, IRI, and Charles Schwab, Michael explains how curiosity guided his path into insights and why blending transactional and behavioral data is essential for building a true 360° view of the consumer. He shares perspectives on affluent households sustaining spend, the diverse motivations of gig workers, and the growing need for brands to address long-term consumer anxieties around trust, security, and opportunity. The discussion also explores how agentic AI enables real-time insights and hyper-personalization, why synthetic data must prove its reliability, and what leaders can do to position insights teams as strategic partners rather than order takers. Michael underscores the value of mentorship, cross-functional collaboration, and intellectual curiosity as the foundation for driving foresight and growth.
What You’ll Learn

• How agentic AI transforms research with real-time, unbiased personalization
• Why affluent consumers sustain spending while others contract, and how brands should respond
• The hidden structure of the gig economy (direct freelancers, platform workers, fractional executives)
• How to build a 360° consumer view by combining transactional and traditional research
• What brands can do to address long-term consumer anxieties around trust, housing, and education?n
• How insights leaders can foster teams that are internal strategy consultants rather than order-takers
• Why synthetic data adoption depends on transparency and proof, not just hype
• The career value of curiosity and mentorship in building resilience and foresight

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Episode Resources:

• Michael Nevski on LinkedIn
• Visa Website
• Glenn Fleischman on LinkedIn
• Stephanie Vance on LinkedIn
• The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast on Spotify
• The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast on YouTube
  
  

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