As a design leader, my purpose is to help organizations become their best selves. My mission is to use the agile and transformative power of design to conceptualize, develop and deliver the innovative services that build brilliant brands and drive value for all stakeholders. I achieve this by deeply engaging with people both inside and outside the organization, creating the conditions for design teams to translate insights into action - getting to that place where experiences come alive, organizations click and hearts, minds and wallets are won. 

 

I have been exceedingly lucky in my professional life. I obtained a degree in industrial design from RISD in 1982 and began working as a design consultant in Chicago. Like so many designers at the time, my dream was to live in Milan, so I moved there in 1987 and landed a job with Ettore Sottsass in 1988.  Incredible clients came our way and I was fortunate to work with the likes of Cassina, Zanotta, Apple, NTT and Zumtobel, among others. Also, through Ettore, I met David Kelley, which led to a position with IDEO in 1995 - another eye-opening, life-changing experience.

 

After 17 years of consulting, I felt a need to explore the corporate world.  As if in answer to that realization, an opportunity to join Whirlpool Europe came my way in late 1999, where I helped to shift the position held by design onto a more strategic footing.  My interest in strategy was further fulfilled when I was offered a three year contract at the UK Design Council in 2003, where we took big steps to change the landscape for design in the UK.

 

London was abuzz with great design talent and I felt there might be a chance to finally open my own consultancy. I co-founded Prospect in 2006 and spent the next 7 years building a digital/service design business that punched well above its weight. We stayed small but made a big impact. 

 

I sold my share in Prospect in 2013 and moved to Silicon Valley to take the next step in my career. But soon, Lowe's came calling and I diverted to North Carolina to take the position of VP of Integrated Experience Design in 2014. By the time the relationship ended in 2016, I had gained a tremendous amount of inside knowledge of retailing, corporate behavior and team dynamics. Not to mention the self-knowledge accrued in reconciling the all of it with how I move in the world. 

 

I am now in my fifth year at Philips, where I have been helping the organization move from being a holding company to an operations company, by crafting solutions that bring devices, data and services together to enable everyone to experience better healthcare, wherever they are. It is a humbling experience to be in the company of so many brilliant people who are all dedicated to helping people live healthier lives. Once again, I have happened to be in the right place at the right time. It's had its frustrations, however, and now it's time to chart a new course. 

 

I have worked as a designer, innovator, team leader, strategist, executive advisor and more over the course of thirty years. And I still have so much to be curious about, explore, learn, contribute to and grow from.

 

Please feel free to get in touch with me - I can be found on Twitter and Instagram under @reisermann, as well as on LinkedIn. Please click below for a copy of my CV.