Susan Squires Email & Phone Number

Applied Anthropology

Leads team of researchers, designers, medical professionals and engineers at the Technology for Independent Living Centre, an Intel project, to explore opportunities for new technologies inspired by unmet needs uncovered through ethnographic research.• Plans and leads ethnographic and usability research framing results to be accessible to technical, academic and business decision-makers.• Facilitates team idea exploration and new concept development.• Communicates opportunities to professions from a variety of disciplines across business units, academia and industry funders.

Managed key cross-functional team providing oversight to 100+ hardware and software experts in High Productivity Super Computers (HPCS) project charged with research and design of next generation supercomputer. Reported to Senior Distinguished Engineer / Principle Investigator. Instrumental in defining HPCS requirements uncovered through customer needs and Voice of the Customer research.Established team as "Thought-leader" in the HPC sector. Published over 15 articles in 2 years on customer requirements for High Productivity Super Computers.Represented Sun at multiple public conferences and marketing events including Super Computer 06 and private meetings with Sandia, Los Alamos, MIT Lincoln Labs.Positioned Sun to incorporate HPC requirements into existing products with potential of over $100M in new sales.

Founded and directed a user research consultancy whose clients included Yahoo!, Rustoleum, St. Jude Medical, Toshiba and Whirlpool as well as start-ups. Responsible for oversight of all aspect of company operations such as strategic planning, marketing, staffing, financial planning.Managed 5+ member cross-functional teams of researchers and designers.Marketed ethnographic research studies to inform product innovation/design.Organized 3 day conference to introduce company clients to ethnography and customer insight methods.

Managed ethnographic research teams in product and service innovation, and design. Major companies included Sprint, Sun Microsystems, Palm, General Mills, Laerdal, American Heart Association, San Jose Mercury News, Johnson and Johnson. Created and led a Computer Interaction Unit that used ethnographic methods and semiotic analysis to revolutionize the way the user/software relationship is created.Authored book on design and development industry, Creating Breakthrough Ideas.

Reported to Director for evaluative services. Led internal and external evaluation teams of 3 - 10 direct reports for major technology companies and financial institutions in the United States and Europe.Saved company approximately $10M by recommending delay in equipment purchase until product made improvements as identified by users.Managed team creating new methodologies for evaluating traditional and inquiry-based training.Spearheaded organizational changes to improve corporate culture and close skill and knowledge gaps uncovered by employee needs assessment.Directed teams designing and implementing both qualitative and survey-based evaluative studies for Andersen consulting engagements and external financial clients in the United States and Internationally.Authored book, Inside Arthur Andersen, analyzing failures in the firm’s organizational culture and values for popular press.

Lead evaluator on National Science Foundation projects in science, math, and technology Developed evaluation method and protocols for U. S. government funded project.Advised research design and method for other evaluation projects in the agency.Created an interactive game for facilitating teaming, used at team building workshops.