Clifford Young

Clifford Young is a prominent figure in the field of public opinion research and political polling. He currently serves as the President of Ipsos Public Affairs in the United States.14 In this role, he leads Ipsos' global election and political polling risk practice, specializing in social and public opinion trends, crisis management, corporate and institution reputation, and election polling.1

Professional Background

Young's expertise extends to polling in emerging markets and in adverse and hostile conditions. He has been involved in polling for over 100 elections and is frequently sought after as a commentator on elections, electoral polling, and public opinion.1

Career at Ipsos

Clifford Young's career at Ipsos has been extensive:

• He started the Ipsos Public Affairs practice in Brazil, where he served as the managing director.1
• He has held various positions within the company, including roles in New York and São Paulo.2
• Currently, he is based in the Washington DC-Baltimore Area.2

Education

Young's academic background is in sociology with a focus on statistics and public opinion:

• He earned his PhD in sociology, specializing in statistics and public opinion, from The University of Chicago.2
• His undergraduate degree (BA) is from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.2

Language Skills

Clifford Young is multilingual, which likely contributes to his global expertise:

• Native or bilingual proficiency in English
• Full professional proficiency in Portuguese
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish2

Recent Developments

In April 2023, Young was elected to the Ad Council's Board of Directors, further solidifying his influence in the field of public affairs and communication.3

Clifford Young is also an author, having recently published a book that demystifies polls, pollsters, and public opinion. This 200-page work, published by Cambridge University Press, synthesizes a broad range of scholarship on polling and survey design.5