Valerie Garrett

About Valerie Garrett

People first’ is my guiding principle for every design effort. I believe exceptional spaces are created when human experience is the foundation of every design decision. When C-suite leaders ask me how to futureproof our workplace, my answer has always been that we should design toward universal, basic human need. We need spaces to be productive, to be innovative, and to communicate. As VP of Placemaking & Workplace Design for Fifth Third Bank, I was selected to lead the redesign for all 1,100 national offices and ‘Project Connect’ – a new signature two-story welcome atrium at our headquarters, a newly designed next-generation financial center, renovated and expanded retail space, as well as the Fifth Third Museum and Fifth Third Stage. The expansive project brings together the Bank’s two office towers at the first and second levels with a new square foot entryway that reflects its values and transformation. The atrium is a space not just to work or welcome customers, but to connect. We hold community events here and foster togetherness and a sense of shared space. My expertise spans workplace strategy, master planning of multisite campuses, and product development. With a background at Herman Miller, teaching senior-level interior design, and a focus on human-centered design and branded environments, I bring a significant understanding of corporate space planning, development, construction, architecture, corporate culture, and wellbeing in the workplace. In my leadership role at Fifth Third and my consulting work, I’m known for being an agile decision maker, a strong partner, and for reading between the lines to understand the full story before moving ahead. I’m a data and research champion and use it to inform and evaluate strategies and plans. As a project lead I build critical relationships, find voices that have been unheard, leverage influence to secure my clients’ needs, and ensure that we meet and exceed goals. I enjoy speaking on the topics of human-centered design, workplace design, how culture and space inform each other, and the future of design. You\'ll find links to my recent talks and podcasts in my featured section. I\'d love to connect with fellow design leaders and organizations looking to transform their spaces and culture—feel free to reach out at v••••••@vsgarrett.com Roles of Interest: VP, SVP, EVP Director, Design/Workplace Design; Creative Director; Chief Design Officer.

Experience

1. VP Director of Placemaking

   Fifth Third Bank

   Jun 2017 — Present · Cincinnati, OH, US

   Led strategic workplace design and space planning to create functional, engaging environments, providing a best-in-class experience for employees and customers alike. Directed portfolio-wide strategic initiatives with 8-figure budgets. Developed enterprise-wide workplace strategy and guiding principles to govern design decisions across all 1,100 locations. Led a team of 5 plus architecture and product partners. • NATIONAL CREATIVE DIRECTION | Transformed antiquated workspaces into an engaging, supportive branded environment, driving forward a multi-million-dollar 3-year headquarters renovation, including complex engineering and architecture work of joining two buildings with a unifying atrium. Led concept to documentation of construction drawings, visioning sessions with stakeholders, development of story layers and graphic representations, and details from design to security to employee communications and change leadership.• WORKPLACE TRANSFORMATION | Led renovation of 27 floors in Fifth Third’s HQ office tower and dozens of regional high-rise high-density building floors into on-brand spaces that support and foster thriving culture. • ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP | Collaborated with Marketing leadership to shape brand strategy across six business verticals, providing design-informed insights that directly influenced enterprise brand evolution during post-Covid transformation. • CUSTOMER-LED DESIGN | Created a new retail branch experience, including a new physical branch design, experiential branded graphic activation, and “choreography” (i.e. how branch teams interact with customers in the space); supported by a robust design research effort.• EXECUTIVE PLACEMAKING | Led executive commons renovation in partnership with CEO, transforming an outdated C-suite floor into a modern, collaborative workspace that drove measurable change. Successfully shifted executive team culture from isolated office work to collaborative engagement.

Education

• Kendall College of Art and Design

  MBA ASDI

• Western Michigan University

  BS

Skills

• Autocad
• Sketchup
• Design Research
• Comprehensive Planning
• Interior Design
• Rendering
• Alternative Workplace Strategies
• Business Development
• Design Management
• Workplace Design
• Furnishings
• Public Speaking
• Design Strategy
• Space Planning
• Space-Planning
• Business Strategy
• Editing
• Sketching
• Writing
• Furniture
• Teaching
• Leadership
• Master Planning
• Marketing
• Strategic Planning