Just over a year on from celebrating a milestone 25th anniversary, Active Insight has today announced a key leadership development as the organisation moves into its next phase of growth and strategic focus.
Effective January 2026, Julie Allen will step into the role of Managing Director of Active Insight, continuing her progression in the company following her appointment as Director in late 2024. Julie’s increasing leadership comes in recognition of her ongoing contribution to the organisation’s evolution, product development and sector impact since joining the business three years ago.
Founder Mike Hill, and long-standing Director David Monkhouse, will step into more focused strategic roles aligned with their respective strengths and passions. Mike will continue to lead the development and delivery of the partnership with Sport England’s Moving Communities, while David will apply more focus towards growing and enhancing the active-net event portfolio.
Speaking on the announcement, Founder Mike Hill said “Julie continues to inspire us with her vision, drive and absolute commitment to not only advancing Active Insight, but supporting the wider sector. Her energy, enthusiasm and passion has helped steer our direction over the past few years, and now feels the perfect time for her to lead the organisation forward.”
“As David and I step into more focused roles in different areas of the business, the timing seems right for Julie to increase her influence in day to day operational and strategic control of the organisation.”
Since its formation nearly 26 years ago, Active Insight has supported over 500 organisations across the leisure, culture, health and education sectors with data-led insight, benchmarking and product innovation. As the sector continues to evolve at pace, the organisation is now investing in bringing real-time intelligence, performance measurement and customer experience analytics even closer to operational decision making.
Julie Allen said “It’s a privilege to step into this role at such a dynamic moment for both Active Insight and the sector we serve. Our work has always been driven by a simple purpose…to help organisations use data meaningfully to improve services, experiences and outcomes for the communities they support. With our latest platforms gaining traction and our network of partners expanding, I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built and even more excited about where we’re going.”
This announcement follows a period of significant development for Active Insight, including continued enhancements to their suite of customer experience and insight platforms, increased engagement across the Moving Communities programme, and a record year for attendance and supplier demand across active-net events.
Reflecting on the organisation’s evolution, David Monkhouse added “Active Insight has always thrived by adapting and staying ahead of sector needs. Julie’s leadership will ensure we continue to do exactly that. I’m looking forward to dedicating more time to growing active-net and strengthening the connections, collaboration and conversations that the event continues to facilitate.”
With a strengthened leadership structure and expanded strategic direction, Active Insight continues to position itself as a crucial partner in helping organisations unlock the full value of their data.
February 2026
