NeuroFocus Bestows 'Wheels of Progress' Award to Thom Noble, for Volcanic Ash and Bureaucracy-Defying Innovative Solution to European Travel Barrier

BERKELEY, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Volcanic eruptions and two thousand-kilometer ash clouds could not triumph over Thom Noble's determination to find a better way.

That way was home, following a business trip from his base in London to Switzerland, which was severely disrupted when the Icelandic volcano spewed trillions of tiny obstacles in his path. The Managing Director for NeuroFocus Europe became stranded, along with millions of others, when air travel was brought to an abrupt halt due to ash-laden skies.

After multiple train, bus and taxi rides from Zurich to the French coast, Noble found himself barred from the only available ferry that could carry him across the English Channel. With the walk-on passenger quota filled, the operator would only accept travelers with 'powered transit' for the voyage. Not about to miss his wife's imminent birthday, and calling on the entrepreneurial spirit that has helped NeuroFocus become the world's leading neuromarketing company, Noble scavenged the streets nearby in search of a solution—which was found in the form of a battered bicycle buried deep in a second-hand goods shop.

It was a woman's push-bike to boot, and after bargaining for the decrepit and barely functional machine, he proceeded furiously back to the dock—only to be told that he must actually perform a kind of circus trick to qualify to transit the Channel: i.e., ride up the ramp with his luggage, consisting of two suitcases, somehow balanced precariously on the two-wheeled contraption. With only moments to spare, he readily accepted this latest challenge and earned his passage aboard the ferry.

"If we needed an analogy for how we approach serving our clients, this is a very apt one," said Dr. A.K. Pradeep, Chief Executive Officer of NeuroFocus. "We've brought innovation to the global market research business, and finding creative solutions to our clients' business issues is at the core of what we do on a daily basis. So it's very appropriate to bestow NeuroFocus' first 'Wheels of Progress' award to Thom Noble. For those who cling to conventional methods while advancements are happening all around them, this example serves notice that, despite the naysayers, you can indeed bicycle your way home across the English Channel. For those still stuck on shore, we send our sincere best wishes."

About NeuroFocus

NeuroFocus (http://neurofocus.com) brings advanced neuroscience knowledge and expertise to the worlds of branding, product development and packaging, advertising, in-store marketing, and entertainment. NeuroFocus clients include Fortune 100 companies across dozens of categories, including automotive, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, financial services, Internet, pharmaceutical, retail, and many more sectors. Entertainment category clients include major companies in the broadcast and cable television and motion picture industries.

The company leverages Doctorate-level academic credentials in neuroscience and marketing from the University of California at Berkeley, MIT, Harvard, Oxford, and other leading institutions, combined with executive business management and consulting experience. The Nielsen Company is a strategic investor in NeuroFocus.

SOURCE NeuroFocus Inc.