#73 | Paul Lafata | From designer to business leader.

Designdrives

We had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Lafata, VP of product management at Heal and former CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA/Lab1886 Daimler's USA, in this episode.

He has also worked as the Head of Design & Innovation at Laureti, the Experience Design Director at BCG Digital Ventures, the Design Director at Bird, the Director of User Experience at Qualcomm, and other companies.

Aside from being a great CEO, Design Director Paul distinguished himself by being a true intrapreneur, developing venture ideas, pitching them, and securing funding for them, as well as signing on investors and major clients.

In EP73 we discuss the differences between designing a digital automotive experience and designing a digital consumer app, as well as the opportunities for innovation, with Paul.

We also talk about the true meaning of good design leadership and how we are involved as a designer in building bridges with business stakeholders.

In the episode, we jump into:

How can designers have the most impact on their work from a business standpoint?

In the automotive industry, Where can designers have the most influence?

What new business models are emerging in the automotive industry, particularly in terms of digital products and innovation?

What are the opportunities and challenges for designers in the healthcare space?

How can digital innovation enable people to receive more measurable assistance?

What are the main obstacles to communicating the "value of design" to business stakeholders?

How should design be integrated into an organization to be most effective?

And many more!

Thanks a lot for your time and your learning Paul!

******

The Guest

Paul Lafata is the VP of Product Management & Design at Heal.

He is a product creator, startup builder, and team leader.

He has over 20 years of experience working in design firms, consultancies, tech behemoths, and media conglomerates as a Product Designer, Creative Director, and Venture Studio CEO.

Paul creates consumer products with the goal of providing unique and seamless CX (customer experiences) in healthcare, mobility services, IOT devices, and media.

He guides multidisciplinary teams through the product development process's stages of innovation, incubation, and commercialization.

He has also worked as a product manager and design leader at Heal, Mercedes, BCG Digital Ventures, Bird, Qualcomm, and Nokia, where he built and led teams to create digital products and services.