About Aaron
I am a strategic experience design leader with a proven track record of driving business growth through novel design solutions and team leadership.
🎓 Education
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg
M.S. Instructional Technology
B.F.A. Art Studio
🎓 Certifications
D.MBA
Executive MBA Certification
Design Thinkers Academy
Executive School Certification, Service Design
Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver
Quantifying User Experience Research Certification
Professional Journey
I've built my career on bridging the gap between creative excellence and business objectives. My journey began in user experience design, where I quickly recognized the transformative power of human-centric design approaches in driving business outcomes.
As I progressed into leadership roles, I developed a unique methodology that combines strategic thinking, evidence-driven decision making, and structured collaboration to solve complex business challenges through design.
Career Highlights
Scaled and led a high-performance global team while establishing scalable design operations for Fortune 500 clients.
Built and optimized global design operations infrastructure for Fortune 500 clients, implementing design org operating models, career pathing frameworks and increased employee engagement by 15%.
Executed AI-driven design practices that reduced research and design cycles by 45%. reducing new feature development time by 30%.
Generated $75M+ in revenue and delivered measurable client outcomes through evidence-driven experience design strategies including:
Identifying $200M in revenue leakage for though strategic research, recovering $32M.
Transformed customer onboarding, reduced cycle time by 50% while driving $8.5M in additional sales.
Redesign of employee intranet that achieved $2M in cost reduction.
Visa Excellence in Innovation Award for designing AI solution that automated 30% of disputes cases and reduced.
Leadership Style
My leadership approach is built on empowerment, accountability, and continuous learning. I believe in creating an environment where designers can do their best work while maintaining clear alignment with business objectives.
🧭 Strategic Vision
Align design initiatives with business objectives to create measurable impact and drive organizational growth.
🤝 Executive Collaboration
Partner effectively with executive leaders to position design as a strategic business function.
👥 Team Empowerment
Cultivate high-performing teams through autonomy, mentorship, continuous learning and growth opportunities.
📈 Results-driven
Establish clear metrics and accountability systems to ensure design initiatives deliver business value.
Design Approach
My approach to design is deeply rooted in understanding user needs while addressing business requirements. I’ve developed a framework that consistently delivers results:
Evidence is your primary design tool
Increase confidence, reduce risk, streamline the decision-making process and make choices more effortless so they're less susceptible to subjective preferences.
Structured collaboration develops the best solutions
Transform even the messiest collaboration efforts into effective, efficient innovation practices by using structured collaboration.
Continuous curiosity as you measure
Test, learn, refine. Continously guide decision making based on evidence to optimize outcomes.
Learning and be uncomfortable
Align results to financial performance, track performance against established metrics and apply insights to future initiatives.
Industry Experience
Throughout my career I’ve had the privilege of working across diverse industries, each presenting unique design challenges and opportunities.
📈 SaaS & Enterprise
Created intuitive interfaces for complex enterprise software, reducing training time and increasing user productivity across organizations.
🤝 Healthcare
Designed patient-centered digital health solutions that improved care outcomes while streamlining clinical workflows.
👥 Financial Service
Redesigned complex financial products to improve accessibility while maintaining regulatory compliance, driving adoption among previously underserved segments.
📈 Not-for-Profit & Gov
Created intuitive interfaces for complex enterprise software, reducing training time and increasing user productivity across organizations.
Speaking and Thought Leadership
Sharing insights on design leadership, business strategy, and the future of experience design. My ideas and opinions have appeared in The Responsive Enterprise and across Randstad Digital’s operating companies.
Illuminate by Cella Conference
The Psychology Behind Customer Journeys
Speaker · Atlanta · 2024
Randstad Digital Executive Roundtable
The GenAI Fairway to Customer Delight
Panelist · Phoenix · 2024
Randstad Digital Blog
The future of loyalty: winning a larger share of your customer’s life.
Author · 2024
Values & Cultural Approach
Beyond technical expertise and business acumen, I bring a set of core values that shape my leadership style and cultural impact.
Inclusive Leadership
I believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes. I actively build teams that represent different backgrounds, experiences, and thinking styles.
Transparent Communication
I foster environments where open dialogue is encouraged, feedback flows freely, and decisions are clearly explained.
Growth Mindset
I view challenges as opportunities to learn and improve, encouraging experimentation and treating setbacks as valuable learning experiences.
These values have helped me build high-performing teams that not only deliver exceptional results but also create positive, collaborative cultures where people feel valued and empowered.
Leadership Testimonials
“Aaron Kennelly is one of the most enthusiastic design leaders that I’ve encountered. He is deeply knowledgeable about customer experience, human-centered design, service design, and user research.
But with Aaron, you get expertise, plus a genuinely enjoyable experience based on seeing a world full of possibility. Often conversations with Aaron are met with “yes, and!” or “what if we...?” He’s a fun collaborator and his clients see the benefit of his creative thinking firsthand. ”
“Aaron exemplifies what makes a great leader. He balances diligence with kindness, guiding his team with clarity, empathy, and a deep commitment to both individual growth and collective success.
More than just a strong leader, Aaron is a talented organizer, aligning teams around common goals—whether crafting a pitch deck, addressing client requests, or uplifting team morale.
Your team would be fortunate to have him at the helm.”
Let’s connect?
I’m always open to discussing new leadership opportunities, speaking engagements, workshop, or collaborative partnerships.