London, England, United Kingdom
I’m an Innovation & Capability Leader working at the intersection of systems change, place-based innovation and inclusive design. My work focuses on building design capability within organisations navigating complexity, translating research and professional practice into structured frameworks, governance approaches and learning pathways that create lasting impact. I have led commercial and funded programmes across public, private and third-sector contexts, spanning regeneration, public infrastructure, safety innovation and executive education. Currently Innovation Manager at Estu Global, I design and deliver scalable capability programmes across service design, systems thinking and green innovation. I work closely with senior stakeholders to embed human-centred approaches into organisational strategy, aligning learning with measurable transformation outcomes. Earlier in my career, I contributed to regeneration and inclusive infrastructure projects with local authorities through the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, and have worked across environmental systems, longevity-focused housing and international safety initiatives. I am a contributing researcher to Designing Inclusive Public Toilets (Bloomsbury), exploring the role of inclusive infrastructure in place-based growth. Alongside my portfolio career, I founded Helm Innovation and co-founded Cross Design Studio, supporting early-stage and planet-positive ventures to translate innovation into sustainable impact. I am motivated by work that requires systemic thinking, collaboration and responsible leadership, particularly where design can strengthen governance, build capability and contribute to long-term social and environmental resilience.
Role overview Lead the design and delivery of innovation-led executive education and professional learning programmes, supporting organisations and individuals to build capability in human-centred design, leadership, and transformation. Key responsibilities - Research, design, and deliver executive education, skills bootcamps, and apprenticeship programmes grounded in design thinking and applied innovation - Provide creative and strategic direction for learning experiences, ensuring relevance, rigour, and real-world impact - Build and tailor bespoke programmes for global audiences, responding to organisational and sector-specific challenges - Act as a subject matter expert across innovation, service design, and human-centred approaches - Facilitate workshops, deliver public talks, and represent Estu across external engagements and partnerships - Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align innovation activity with business and learning objectives - Contribute to business strategy, market insight, and the identification of growth opportunities - Analyse trends across innovation, skills, and education to inform programme development and future offerings Impact & outcomes - Supported leaders and professionals to apply design-led thinking to complex organisational challenges - Strengthened Estu’s executive education and apprenticeship offer through research-informed, learner-centred design - Built trusted relationships with stakeholders across industry, education, and the public sector About Estu Global Estu designs and delivers leadership development and innovation programmes grounded in design thinking. Working across large corporates and the public sector, Estu supports organisations in Innovation & Culture, Change Leadership, and Sustainability through Skills Bootcamps, Professional Apprenticeships, and bespoke learning experiences co-created with leading academics and industry experts.
Role Overview Founder and CEO of an award-winning innovation venture focused on life-saving safety technologies for maritime environments. The business is now progressing to market through strategic partnerships, with day-to-day delivery led externally. Key contributions Founded Helm Innovation and led the end-to-end creation of the business, from concept development through to award-winning product innovation - Set the strategic vision and creative direction for the Dynamic range of safety technologies - Led early-stage research, prototyping, and testing, grounding innovation in real-world safety needs - Built partnerships across industry, research, and safety bodies to support validation and scale - Secured significant external recognition, including four Lloyd’s Register awards in the company’s first year - Transitioned the venture into a partner-led, market-delivery model, reducing operational involvement while maintaining strategic oversight Impact & recognition - Dynamic range recognised by Lloyd’s Register Foundation for its life-saving potential - Contributed to advancements in maritime safety, risk reduction, and design-led innovation Current status The venture is commercially active and partner-led, with my involvement focused on strategic oversight rather than day-to-day operations.
Role Overview Co-founder and director of a social innovation design collective supporting organisations to bring ideas to life through ethical, human-centred design, research, and implementation strategy. The studio operates on a portfolio and partnership basis, bringing together a trusted network of practitioners (including myself) to work on selected projects across research, executive education, and SME support. Key contributions - Co-founded and shaped the studio’s vision, values, and ethical design principles - Lead and contribute to design research and human-centred innovation projects, particularly in complex or “wicked” problem spaces - Support SMEs, social enterprises, and mission-led organisations with strategy, service design, and innovation capability building - Design and deliver workshops, learning interventions, and executive education support, often in collaboration with partner organisations - Assemble and lead bespoke, multidisciplinary teams to respond to specific challenges - Work collaboratively with stakeholders to move ideas from insight to implementation Focus areas - Human-Centred & Ethical Design - Social Innovation & Systems Thinking - Research-Led Strategy - Executive Education & Capability Building Current status The studio is active on an ad-hoc, partnership basis, complementing my primary role in innovation leadership and education.
Role overview Led design management and delivery across commissioned research and innovation projects, supporting clarity, quality, and effective collaboration across teams. Key responsibilities - Developed and managed design delivery processes for commissioned projects, from briefing through to evaluation - Worked closely with the Institute Manager, Senior Design Manager, and Director to ensure clear progress tracking, evaluation, and reporting - Coordinated multidisciplinary design teams, supporting effective collaboration, communication, and delivery - Contributed to insight-led and research-informed design briefs, shaping project direction and focus - Supported project planning, risk awareness, and continuous improvement across the institute’s portfolio - Mentored and supported designers engaged in projects, ensuring quality of work and professional development - Contributed to internal and external reports, communications, and knowledge sharing - Participated in workshops, events, and learning activities, contributing ideas for programme and project development Impact & outcomes - Improved clarity and consistency across the institute’s design delivery approach - Strengthened collaboration and communication across project teams and leadership - Supported the successful delivery of research-led, funded design projects
Worked as a design researcher on commercially commissioned projects for world-leading organisations, global brands, councils, and government bodies, contributing insight-led research that informed policy design, implementation, brand strategy, and product development. Role overview Delivered applied qualitative research across social innovation, creative leadership, and business contexts, translating insight into strategic direction and practical outcomes. Key contributions - Conducted human-centred and design-led research for commercial, civic, and public-sector partners - Contributed to projects spanning policy design and implementation, brand strategy, and product and service development - Supported research on themes including Betterment for a global sports brand, London high-street regeneration, and creative leadership - Designed and facilitated research workshops, interviews, and co-creation sessions with diverse stakeholder groups - Synthesised insight into clear frameworks, narratives, and recommendations for senior decision-makers - Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to move from research insight to actionable innovation Impact - Informed policy development and implementation across public-sector and civic contexts - Influenced brand strategy and product development for global and commercial partners - Invited to speak internationally on research outcomes and insights - Contributed to published academic papers, supporting the dissemination of applied, design-led research