I am a strategic design leader for consumer technology and B2B tools, building cross-functional relationships that improve how designers collaborate and flourish personally. Recognized for research- and data-informed solutions to user and business challenges.I used to be a journalist, who presented the news by laying out articles, writing headlines, selecting photos and visualizing data. I developed a strong understanding of how to communicate complex information in clear and concise ways.I still am a storyteller. I see Design as how a product communicates with the user. As a leader, I often present stories to partners and executives that build empathy for customer pain points and pitch a UX strategy. And I create artifacts that keep teams on the same page, such as partnering with leadership to establish a purpose and mission statement for our org to rally around.In college, I received a scholarship, for which the qualifications essentially were: “plays well with others.” Collaboration remains a key part of my leadership approach. I build strong cross-functional partnerships and coach designers in how to do the same. Being a designer is 20% creating things — and then 80% sharing and discussing the work. I make that communication easier for teams by driving process improvements, like establishing a development process that clarifies ownership and expectations for each step of the way.Meeting the daily deadline of a print newspaper fostered a pragmatic mindset that sticks with me. When it’s time for the presses to roll, each minute’s delay costs money. Yet a daily edition creates the opportunity to improve tomorrow. That iteration carries over to designing digital products for me. Each improvement today “compounds” with time as we win and retain customers one by one. Grinding out small wins through experimentation and learning is how I connect business outcomes with user-centric goals, like surpassing $1 billion in revenue while maintaining category-leading customer satisfaction ratings.If you’re looking for a design leader who communicates well with executives and team members, improves collaboration between Design and cross-functional partners, and connects customer value to business value, then let’s talk. I’m open to new full-time roles or advising companies looking to mature their Design practice. Meanwhile you’ll find me listening to all sorts of podcasts, immersed in an NYT Games puzzle, or reading up on football (soccer) tactics.