I've built design and research practices from scratch three times: at a direct-marketing agency that had only hired visual designers, a traditional advertising agency that wanted a digital transformation, and a fashion tech company that didn't track anything until years after I joined.

Twenty years in, I still do the same thing on day one: figure out what's actually broken, then fix it in a way you can measure. These days, that means building research and design operations — the workflows, tools, and habits that get teams talking to customers instead of guessing, spotting real opportunities, and proving what's working.

These experiences help me move teams from no process to full practice, from no data to evidence-based decisions, and from resistance to buy-in. I do my best work with autonomy and strong senior leaders who back it—that type of partnership is where I've delivered my best work.