Highest Ranks in Corporate Design?

Who can name the corporations that have these high level design posts? This is vital stuff for selling design up the ladder. Is there anyone who has tracked this?


Chief Design Officer: Apple, Braun, Samsung, Starwood

CEO Design: Philips

SVP Design: Nissan

VP Design: Whirlpool, P&G, Ford

are these positions all direct reports to the CEO, or do some still report under Marketing?

Don’t forget Chief Creative Officer - usually found in agencies.

Not to hijack the thread, but what about CEOs/Presidents who come from a design background? I can’t think of even one.

I don’t think there is a complete list anywhere, but a few additions:

Target - SVP Trend, Design, Product Development
Apple - SVP Design (he’s not CDO)
Nike - various VP’s of division and product categories

Thanks Joe. You’re right about Ives being the SVP, but Steve Jobs actually does own the Chief Design Officer title.

Nike_

VP of footwear design
VP of advanced projects
VP of global innovation (nice tittle)

Plus the CEO, Mark Parker, comes from a design and development background.

a few to add:

Crown Equipment-VP of design
Symbol Technologies- VP of design
Nike: new CEO was a footwear designer ( i think)

i also thought that a lot of bicycle companies were started by designers…

I certainly wouldn’t work for any company that didn’t have design way there in the ranks of decision makers. Can certainly make for an unhappy place…

james Dyson at Dyson

I found some VP posts for designers at software companies too: Google, Yahoo, Amazon.

I discovered “Directors of Design” at Dell & HP. I would have expected HP to have a VP level role.

Oh, and what does Dyson consider himself? CEO of Design? Chief Design Officer?

Few product designers report under Marketing. A majority of corporate design groups report to the President. The second most popular position is under R&D.

So to summarize, Rarely, the highest ranking designer reports to the CEO.
(except when the designer started the company) There are more examples of only one layer of manegment in between; typically an Engineer (vs. MBA) correct? Both trends are increasing.

Because of the varying corporate titles I’d like to know how often a designer reports to a CEO directly.
(wasn’t that the initial posted question?)

Given how different their worlds are, and education, and trainng, and background, and interests, most CEO’s (big generalization here) and designers would have a hard time spending more than a half hour together.

Designers who report into the CEO position are scarce because, designers that can interest a boardroom full of executives, especially in a company that doesn’t come from a design orientation, for more than 15 minutes… are rare.

Given how different their worlds are, and education, and trainng, and background, and interests, most CEO’s (big generalization here) and designers would have a hard time spending more than a half hour together.

Designers who report into the CEO position are scarce because, designers that can interest a boardroom full of executives, especially in a company that doesn’t come from a design orientation, for more than 15 minutes… are rare.

Interesting point MD. I’m curious, do we think this is something that should be addressed? Should a select group of designers become integrated into the business world to better represent design at the boardroom level? Moving so far away from core design would they be able to represent design values once they fought their way into the boardroom?

Great idea Yo.

I think staying close to your original values and motivations for becoming a designer becomes very complicated the more time is spent in the profession. Many designers drop out after certain accomplishments, perhaps because of these accomplishments. By that I mean, the profession seems for many to become less exciting the more bridges that are crossed. first product, first metal part, first medical product, first product in a store, etc… At ten years the fall off rate is quite dramatic.

Many designers leave for other careers or advanced degrees in another direction. Sometimes these lead back to the Boardroom. But it is a long process and a non direct route.

For a young Designer to cultivate the skills required to make an impression in the boardroom would be a terrific thing and easier today than say ten or fifteen years ago. Success in this are would also provide an interesting new model for design education.

Add Gavin Ivester to the list…SVP of design at Puma reports directly to Jochen Zeitz ze chairman

Lee Green - VP_ IBM Brand and Values Experience

Many companies are adding CXO- Chief experience officers. Not always designers, many of these positions are responsible for design within the corporate structure.

I remember an NPR blurb with the CEO of Starbucks- Chief Entertainment Officer that is. Kinda different take on the designed experiences.

Kind of like the line between hard news and entertainment blurring. What is design and what is an experience?