Enterprise SaaS
10 heads of design
These ten heads of design hold or have held a Head of Design title in their own work histories. A reader can learn how a head of design builds and runs a design team, sets design direction and works with product and engineering leaders on what ships.
Professionals to explore
01—10Andreas Säfström
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design & User Experience · Ericsson
Head of Design & User Experience at Ericsson since 2020. Other listed roles include Head of Industrial Design & Usability (2013–2019) and Senior Specialist Industrial Design - Team Leader (2011–2013) at Ericsson. The profile describes human-centered design applied across physical, digital and service spaces, and a holistic design approach to innovation.
Brian Santiago
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design · Apollo GraphQL
Head of Design at Apollo GraphQL since 2025, alongside the Senior Product Design Manager role there held since 2025; the profile headline lists product design, brand, docs and AI. Former Experience Design Manager at Atlassian (2022–2024), and Manager, Product Design (2020–2022) and Senior Product Designer (2018–2020) at Fastly.
Dane Howard
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design · Zyphra
Head of Design at Zyphra since 2026, where the profile describes leading design and shaping how people experience AI through voice, language and interaction. Former VP of Product Design at G2 (2023–2026) and Head of Product Design and Research, Amazon Care at Amazon (2020–2023). The profile also lists Principal & Founder at Dane Howard Studios since 2023 and Adjunct Lecturer - Coach Mentor ME216 - Stanford d.school at Stanford University (2019–2022).
Jaeha Yoo
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design · Found
Head of Design at Found since 2024. Former Head of Product Design, International and Partnerships (2024) and Head of Product Design, Square Point of Sale (2023–2024) at Block, Design Director at Square (2018–2023) and Design Director, Human Interface at TuneIn (2017–2018).
Jessie Pahng
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Experience Design (Head of Design) · Actian
Former Senior Director, Experience Design (Head of Design) at Actian (2023–2026), where the profile says they led a global UX organization. Other listed roles are UX Design Manager at Google Cloud Storage (Google, 2021–2023), Senior Design Lead at IBM (2019–2021), UX Lead at Volvo Car USA (2017–2018) and UI UX Design Lead Contractor at FUJIFILM Sonosite, Inc. (2016–2017).
Luciano Pouzada
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design · Acorns
Head of Design at Acorns since 2026 and former Head of Design at Cactus (2025–2026). The profile also lists Group Design Director at Work & Co (2021–2025), a role it describes as leading the design team in Rio, Design Director at Work & Co (2017–2021) and Executive Creative Director at Huge (2017).
Maxwell White
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design · Corti
Head of Design at Corti since 2025; the profile describes Corti as an AI product and research company that develops AI systems for healthcare use cases. Former Staff Product Designer at Corti (2024–2025), Senior Product Designer at Monta (2023–2024), and Design Manager (2021–2022) and Senior Product Designer (2021) at Goodnotes.
Nelee Sim
LinkedInExperience: SVP, Head of Design · Pearson
SVP, Head of Design at Pearson since 2025. Former Design Director at Ticketmaster (2023–2025), Director Of Product Design at Facebook (2021–2023) and Executive Design Director at McKinsey & Company (2015–2021); the profile also lists Adjunct Professor at School of Visual Arts since 2014. The profile describes helping companies turn ideas into market realities through UX visions, product roadmaps and design language systems.
Noah Richardson
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design, Enterprise Products · Meta
Head of Design, Enterprise Products at Meta since 2020. Former Vice President, User Experience at Salesforce (2016–2019); the profile also lists Senior Director, User Experience (2014–2016) and Director, Mobile User Experience (2013–2014) at Salesforce and Principal Manager, User Experience at Microsoft (2007–2012). The profile describes leading UX teams and a people-first approach to empowering diverse groups to deliver experiences for customers.
Ratna Desai
LinkedInExperience: Head of Design, Core Member & Discovery Experience Platform · Netflix
Former Head of Design, Core Member & Discovery Experience Platform at Netflix (2022–2026). Other listed Netflix roles are Director of Product Design, Member Discovery & Platforms (TV, Mobile, Web) (2021–2022), Director of Product Design, TV, Search & Personalization (2019–2021) and Director of Product Design, TV (2018–2019); the profile also lists Design Lead, Google Search, AI Innovation at Google (2016–2018) and describes leading design and research organizations.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's product area, such as consumer apps, enterprise software or AI products, and their company stage to your own situation. Check the dates on each person's listed roles to see whether their design leadership is current or recent.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01When does a company need a dedicated head of design, and what should that person own in the first six months?
- 02How do you structure a design team across product areas, research and brand as the company grows?
- 03How do you show that design work is improving product and business outcomes?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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