Leon Hovanesian

About Leon Hovanesian

Driving Growth with Human-Centered Products, Services, and Experiences.Highly experienced design leader with 15 years of proven track record accelerating strategic growth, launching innovative products and services, and enhancing customer experiences across diverse industries. In my roles at global organizations such as Meta Platforms, Starbucks, Deloitte, and Accenture, I\'ve guided cross-functional teams to enhance user engagement and drive business transformation.As a leader, I pride myself on managing and mentoring multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Beyond corporate boundaries, I also serve as an Academic Instructor at the University of Washington, guiding graduate students on real-world, team-based projects in the Human Centered Design and Engineering Program.In addition to my corporate and academic roles, I\'ve built a vibrant community as the Founder of Business Designers Chicago, a 300+ member group, focused on fostering innovation through notable speakers, workshop activities, and networking nights.As a thought leader in the industry, I am a Peer Reviewed Published Author, with my work “Using Systemic Design for the Understanding and Evolving of Organizational Culture” presented at the “Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD8) 2019 International Symposium.\"My work has spanned across various sectors, driving significant impact in tech, finance, retail, and beyond. With a toolkit encompassing strategic decision framing, customer experience design, and lean and agile approaches, I intertwine design thinking with strategy to create transformative solutions that drive organizational growth and create substantial social and economic value.Open to collaborations, partnerships, and advisory opportunities, I am keen on leveraging my distinctive blend of skills and experiences to drive further innovation, strategic growth, and design excellence.KEY SKILLS:Leadership and Team Building | Strategic Planning | Human-Centered Design | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Customer Experience (CX) Design | Product Design | Data Analysis | Stakeholder Management | Sustainability Strategy | Project Management | Business Modeling and Strategy | Lean and Agile Approaches | Organizational Design | Budget Management | Risk Management | Workshop Facilitation

Experience

1. Ux International Leader, Head of Insights for Sourcing

   Walmart Global Tech

   Oct 2023 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   UX leader for Walmart International, driving enhanced or new experiences/services across 5,900+ retail units in 26 countries. I lead a global team across diverse markets, leveraging relationships to drive research and craft actionable strategies. As a leader I collaborate with stakeholders to plan, define, and manage business plans to ensure the success of our initiatives.

Education

• Institute of Design (ID)

  Master of Design (M.Des), Business Design Strategy + Research

• Brown University

  Cross registration towards BFA at Rhode Island School of Design, Sociology and Anthropology Studies

• Rhode Island School of Design

  Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Illustration