Tess Peterson is Senior Vice President of Thought Leadership Research at the Edelman Trust Institute, a think tank dedicated to advancing the understanding of trust. In her role, she designs and oversees research projects that help organisations understand evolving public attitudes, trust, and societal change. Her primary areas of research include brand trust, economic fairness and opportunity, and trust in the workplace. Prior to joining Edelman, Tess carried out consumer insights research at Gartner, where she led strategic research initiatives spanning healthcare, technology, and digital marketing, and produced some of the first research on sentiment around the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to recognition as the company’s outstanding researcher of the year. Tess earned her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota and her M.A. in Anthropology from Simon Fraser University.