Kalev Peekna Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

As Head of Practice, I lead the Strategy, Design and Technology practice teams at One North, a full service agency and experience consultancy. We help national and international organizations create and deliver extraordinary experiences for their customers and employees.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

I lead a unified, multi-disciplinary Strategy division with dedicated practice teams in CX Strategy, UX Strategy, Brand Strategy, Content Strategy, Data Strategy, and Technology strategy. - Grew the newly formed Strategy discipline by more than 300% in its first year (from 9 employees to 30+).- Created a new, dedicated CX strategy practice organically by creating new market offerings, acquiring talent, publishing thought leadership, and developing a robust sales pipeline.- Standardized and rationalized internal division operations to enable more rapid, lest costly scale of team and client work.- Developed and launched a multi-disciplinary approach and methodology to break down practice silos, focus more clearly on client problems, enable more flexible staffing models, and develop high-performing talent more rapidly. - Raised the client profile from mid-sized to large (Fortune 1000) client base.- Lead and contributed to agency-wide initiatives on Inclusion & Diversity, employee experience, operational scale, new market entry, and marketing strategy.

Greater Chicago Area

As Chief Strategist, I lead the Digital Strategy practice at One North, comprising the Experience Strategy, Data Strategy, and Technology Strategy teams. We work collaboratively to help people innovate, optimize, and transform their digital capabilities. Our practice approaches digital transformation and experience strategy as a user-centric, cross-discipline activity. We borrow tools and approaches from HCD, UX, CX, and agile methodologies to help unite business and customer needs in the form of truly distinguished digital experiences. At One North, I created the Digital Strategy practice and each of its sub-disciplines:-- Experience Strategy, focused on user and market research, digital transformation, setting an enterprise-wide digital strategy and roadmapping, product/service strategy and design, innovation, brand activation, and design thinking.-- Data Strategy, focused on improving capture, access, and strategic use of data to improve digital experiences. Includes analysis, data flow design, dashboard creation, personalization, A/B testing, digital optimization, and education/training.-- Technology Strategy, focused on helping companies select, integrate, and operate their digital investments to produce more meaningful, efficient results. Includes technology selection consulting, ecosystem assessment, roadmapping, and digital enablement. In this role I am responsible for:- Recruiting senior talent with marketing, creative, and technology skillsets.- Developing the go-to-market strategy for various industries, building a solid pipeline, and developing long-term, embedded relationships with clients.- Contributing to sales and business development, from RFI/RFP response through contract negotiations.- Guiding work across the practice to ensure deliverable quality and high client satisfaction- Practicing as a senior consultant and strategist for key agency clients- Writing and speaking as a thought leader for national publications and conference

Greater Chicago Area

Founding partner and leader of the UX Strategy group for One North Interactive, LLC. The UX strategy group performs ethnographic research, information architecture, and UX design for a wide range of B2B and B2C clients. My responsibilities ran the full range of practice leadership, including recruiting, business development, direction of client relationships, and practicing as a senior UX strategist. • Grew team from a core of 3 UX designers to a team of 8 UX designers, information architects, and UX researchers. Increased gross revenue of team by 250%, margin by 50%.• Extended research team research capabilities to include qualitative (interviews, observational studies, focus groups) and quantitative (surveys, tree testing, prototype testing) methods.• Integrated and coordinated strategy activities across UX, Design, and Brand.• Participated in sales and business development, including RFI/RFP response, • Practiced as a senior UX strategist and designer in key client engagements. Produced user research, information architecture, personas, user journeys, wireframes, content frameworks.• Spoke and wrote as a UX thought leader in areas of digital marketing, B2B marketing, UX design, and design thinking.

Chicago

Consulting with leading law firms on using web-based technologies for marketing business development. My work includes brand development, content strategy, information architecture, interactive design, UXD, social media strategy, mobile web design and integrated analytics.- Created new high-value, strategic consulting group to lead clients through business strategy, content architecture, and functional planning.- Managed five-person team of business analysts, information architects, and user-experience designers.- Reviewed all engagement artifacts produced by creative and strategy teams. Guided interactive design, functionality selection, and visual design to ensure alignment with client goals.- Conducted brand and creative strategy discussions; wrote creative briefs to guide visual design team.- Created new content strategy architecture for professional services firms- Designed and implemented new delivery processes for client services, covering all aspects of client engagement, from account planning through technical implementation.- Designed original market research questionnaires, authored whitepapers and articles, contributed to industry blogs.- Presented as invited speaker at several industry-wide marketing and legal industry events.

Leading a team of project managers and business analysts in the implementation of complex financial systems. - Managed a portfolio of projects ranging from 100 to 10,000+ hours in scope. - Lead team of business and technical analysts on portfolio engagements.- Relationship management to the top five enterprise customers, comprising 70% of revenue. - Created and implemented enterprise project management methodology to a quickly changing market.- Performed in-depth business analysis, user interface designs, and technical specifications for complex financial transaction systems.

Greater Chicago Area

Bachelor Of Arts, History

Ma, History

Mphil, Historical Studies

Activities and Societies: Darwin College