ABOUT ME
Design leader, team builder, and outcome-obsessed.
I'm based in the Chicago area with 20+ years of experience building design organizations that are strategic, accountable, and excellent. I've led multi-squad design teams at Sprout Social, Paylocity, and Verizon Business, delivering experiences used by millions of users across B2B SaaS, enterprise HR, security/compliance, and customer care.
Personal
Outside of work, I’m a husband of 20 years and the proud dad of two daughters who keep me grounded, laughing, and constantly learning. Much of our family life revolves around volleyball tournaments, school activities, and enjoying the occasional dinner around the Chicago suburbs.
My family has shaped how I see leadership and life. They’ve taught me the importance of listening, being present, staying patient when things do not go according to plan, and never taking yourself too seriously. Those lessons influence the kind of teammate, mentor, and person I try to be every day.
Professional
"The best leaders multiply their impact through others."
What drives me isn't the pixels, it's the people. I believe the most valuable thing a design leader can do is make their team better. Every coaching conversation, every stretch assignment, every critique framework I've built has been an investment in sustainable design quality that outlasts my direct involvement.
I've spent my career at the intersection of ambiguity and accountability: leading teams through complex organizational challenges, advocating for user needs in rooms where the conversation was purely financial, and building the kind of trust with Product and Engineering partners that earns design a seat at the strategy table.
I care deeply about inclusive, accessible design—not as a checkbox, but as a design quality standard. I'm a continuous learner, currently exploring how AI is reshaping design practice and what it means for the future of how we do discovery, prototyping, and team workflows.
My leadership philosophy
Lead with strategy, not instinct
Design leadership requires making the business case for design thinking. I’ve learned to translate UX work into business language—not “we improved the interface,” but “this reduced resolution time by 50%.” That fluency is how design earns organizational influence.
Empower, don't enable dependency
I resist the urge to be the hands-on designer when I should be the force multiplier. My job is to deploy people strategically, create growth opportunities, and build scaffolding that lets designers operate at a higher level without me. The best validation of my leadership is a team that can excel independently.
Process is a product
I design our ways of working with the same rigor I'd design a product. Critique frameworks, planning ceremonies, and design-engineering rituals aren’t bureaucracy. When done well, they feel enabling, not constraining. They're the infrastructure that makes quality scalable.
Make trade-offs visible
I've found that transparency about what we're sacrificing, and why, builds more trust than always delivering the ideal outcome. Stakeholders know I'm fighting for customer outcomes, not being precious about design ideals. That honesty enables better resourcing conversations.
Cultural change requires proof points
You can't convince skeptics with design principles. I've consistently built credibility by starting small, delivering measurable wins, then systematizing what worked. Show, don't tell - then make it repeatable.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Colleagues & collaborators
"For two years, I had the opportunity to be on the team that Alex was a director of. During that time, Alex was deeply committed to the growth and success of our team, leading with empathy and support. He led the team through major product changes and always kept a positive outlook despite any challenges. He made deep connections with our cross-discipline partners, and consistently fostered a collaborative environment so that we could all reach our goals. I have no doubt that any organization he is a part of will benefit greatly from his skill and dedication."
Isabelle Zhang
Senior Product Designer
"I learned so much from working with Alex at Sprout Social. He is an empathic, intelligent, wise, communicative, inclusive, and highly collaborative colleague who established many impactful means of partnership during his time with us, while ensuring the work his team delivered was user-centered and reflected business priorities. He also supported a range of individual contributors to grow into their best selves at work, often while they faced many stressful challenges, including deeply entrenched silos. I am hoping we will work together again in the future - I miss working with him already!"
Lise Latorre
Senior Director of Product Design
"I had the opportunity of having Alex as my manager for two years at Sprout Social. During that time, he led a team of product designers working in an integral part of the business. He also partnered closely with product management and engineering leaders to inform roadmaps and business strategy. As a first-time manager, I learned a lot from Alex and truly appreciate his commitment to my growth and development. He genuinely cares about those he supports, and I felt that impact throughout our time together. Alex was always willing to jump on a call to discuss challenges, brainstorm collaboratively, or ask insightful questions that enhanced my work. He is a thoughtful, empathetic, and supportive manager and team member. Anyone would be lucky to get the chance to work with him."
Jennifer Zettinger
Product Design Manager
"Alex brings a remarkable amount of empathy, energy and optimism to his work. He cares deeply about his team – he's a stellar collaborative partner and goes above and beyond to support and guide his reports – and leads with perspective, grace, and kindness. He's a culture add to any team lucky enough to have him as a member!"