Tom Zehner

About Tom Zehner

I’m a Senior Director of User Experience and AI-Driven Design with 20+ years of experience building, scaling, and leading high-performing design organizations across enterprise, SaaS, and mobile platforms.I specialize in aligning UX strategy, AI, and data to deliver intelligent, scalable, and human-centered digital experiences. My work spans building UX teams from the ground up, defining experience roadmaps, establishing design systems, and partnering closely with product, engineering, and executive leadership to drive measurable business impact.Most recently, I led UX and AI-enabled design at SITE Technologies, where I built the UX organization, integrated ethical AI practices, and delivered complex map-driven platforms including 2D/3D visualization, location services, drone-based photogrammetry, and data-rich tools for trade and field-based use cases.Previously, I established and led UX at Proliant, helped scale multi-platform products at Paylocity, and created globally deployed experiences at Google (Motorola), including SMARTACTIONS™, used by millions of users worldwide.I’m passionate about human-centered, ethical AI, strong design cultures, and turning complexity into clarity at scale.Tools & Technologies• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud, Sketch, InVision; wire frame, prototyping •Design Systems & Frameworks: Radix, Material Design, Bootstrap, AG Grid, Kendo UI; user flows, information architecture diagrams• Data, Mapping & Visualization: ArcGIS; 2D/3D visualization tools (SketchUp, Maya, Blender, 3D Studio) • Research, Testing & Analytics: Datadog, Google Analytics, A/B testing, usability testing, user interviews, user research, heuristic evaluations, UI audits • Product & Delivery: Jira, Confluence; UX vision, user-centered design, quality assurance, innovation practices • Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Krisp • Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS • Technical Knowledge: Working knowledge of HTML, CSSPast Working RelationshipsMTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom, Virgin, NEC, GE, Microsoft, Motorola, Google, Paylocity

Experience

1. Senior Director Head of User Experience & Ai-driven Design

   SITE Technologies

   Jun 2024 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Built and led the UX organization from the ground up, recruiting and mentoring high-performing designers, researchers, and design leaders • Defined and executed a unified UX and AI-enabled strategy aligned with business goals, platform standards, and measurable outcomes • Led end-to-end design across research, concepting, prototyping, testing, and delivery while maintaining high quality and timely execution • Championed a creative, user-centered culture grounded in ethical, compliant AI practices • • Integrated AI and advanced analytics to accelerate research, iteration, personalization, accessibility, and ROI measurement • Established scalable design systems, UX roadmaps, and KPIs to drive consistency and efficiency • Partnered with Product, Engineering, Data, Marketing, and executives to translate complex needs into clear user-focused solutions • Designed complex map-driven platforms including 2D/3D mapping, location services, drone imagery workflows, data tables, and interactive tools for trade-based use cases

Education

• The University of Kansas

  Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Illustration and Design

  1985 — 1989

• University of Kansas

  Bachelor's degree, Design and Applied Arts

  1985 — 1989

Skills

• Mobile Devices
• Android
• User-Centered Design
• Css
• Unix
• Html
• Photoshop
• Xml
• Mobile Applications
• Game Development
• Dreamweaver
• Wireless
• Illustrator
• Microsoft Excel
• Visio
• Windows
• Corel Painter
• Eclipse
• Touch Screens
• Ios
• Visual Design
• Interaction Design
• Mobile Interaction Design
• Microsoft Word
• Powerpoint
• Jira
• Mac Os X
• Alias
• Maya
• Softimage
• Lithium
• Tat
• Wordpress
• Axure
• Flinto
• Invision
• Agile Methodologies
• User Interface Design
• Graphic Design
• User Experience