Proudly “Made in Italy” but global by experience, I am a design and business leader with 20+ years of experience building practices, opening and expanding strategic accounts, and leading leading programs across design, AI, behavioral science, branding, engineering that transform businesses, experiences and organizations.
My experience spans leading consultancies including Fractal Analytics, IDEO, Smart Design, and EPAM Continuum where I shaped product and service innovation in B2C and enterprise space, and partnered with C-suite executives globally across CPG, Tech, Telecom, Insurance and Healthcare to solve complex business and human challenges - repositioning design from a downstream function to a strategic growth lever.
As a founding leader of Fractal’s global Design & Behavioral Science practice, I scaled the capability from 10 to 120+ multidisciplinary professionals across North America, UK, and India contributing to $25M in annual program revenue across strategy, design, data science, engineering and AI.
I specialize in:
-Building and scaling global, high-performance, multidisciplinary design teams (researchers, strategists, behavioral scientists, service designers, UX/UI designers, communication designers, business designers) who work in an integrated way with engineers, data scientists, AI experts
-Defining the practice GTM strategies, offering portfolio, commercial models, talent strategy, and delivery standards
-Leading pitches, opening new logos and expanding strategic accounts via cross selling
-Shaping innovation strategies, pipelines and roadmaps
-Driving human-led, AI powered product, service and user experience innovation (strategy, design, test, development, launch, hypercare)
-Creating consistency, scalability and development speed across products via Design Systems
-Leading digital, AI-enabled transformation programs and data-to-experience integration
-Leveraging storytelling to influence and align stakeholders on a shared vision and path to success
-Transforming organizational culture to increase diversity and inclusion leading to strong retention and engagement
I’m passionate about challenging conventions, turning emerging technologies into meaningful human experiences, and building diverse, high-performing teams that push the boundaries to propel brands forward and keep them relevant.
In parallel, I serve as Adjunct Professor of Business Model Design at Parsons School of Design, mentoring future founders and reinforcing my belief that disciplined creativity and business model clarity are core executive capabilities.
Curious like any Gemini . Storyteller at heart. Ambitious by design.
EXPERIENCE
Fractal Analytics | Design & Behavioral Science Partner
New York, NY | 02.2020– 03.2026
Founding leader who scaled the practice from 10 to 120+ multidisciplinary professionals across North America, UK, and India contributing to $25M in annual program revenue across strategy, design, data science, engineering and AI
Defined the practice GTM strategy, offering portfolio, commercial model, talent strategy, and delivery standards; partnered with account leaders to identify opportunities, led pitches; opened new logos and expanded strategic accounts
Sold and led integrated transformation programs from strategy through delivery, combining design, behavioral science, AI, data science and engineering to improve user adoption, retention and conversion
Led the brand identity and design system for the company’s agentic platform and redefined the agentic experience for key solutions to be human centric
Partnered with executive leadership at Google, Apple, Verizon, Mars, Unilever, Mondelez, Nestle’, P&G, Sanofi, McKesson and Merck
Achieved average 110% annual targets, client NPS of 75, 30% Net Operating Margin, 75% billable team utilization and 12% voluntary attrition, reflecting strong organizational culture, operational excellence and leadership
Smart Design | Head of Service Design
New York, NY 10.2018 - 01.2020
Originated and grew Google from a new client to a $4M strategic account in 18 months, expanding an initial engagement into a portfolio of service and experience-design programs across Home Care and Maps
Won $0.6M new business across Sephora and Pepsi, creating high-value service and experience transformation opportunities
Led Smart Salon, a quarterly leadership event on emerging business and design themes
Parson School of Design | Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurial Design
New York, NY 08.2019 - present
Guide senior students on a journey to develop a deep understanding of what it takes to start a business and what the necessary steps are to make it happen. Through a series of lectures augmented by hands-on experiments and real life experiences from the startup community, students envision innovative solutions to solve for wicked problems, define business model scenarios, and develop market entry strategies to actualize their projects.
Co: Collective | Head of Service/Experience Design
New York, NY 06.2016 - 08.2018
Founded and scaled the Experience Design practice, expanding the firm's capabilities at the intersection of brand strategy, digital experience and innovation
Built the Experience Design portfolio from inception to $10M in annual revenue adding new clients like MetLife, Sallie Mae, Macy’s and Microsoft
Built and led a multidisciplinary team of 30 members spanning strategy, UX/UI, research, content creation, technology and industrial design
Farmhouse @ Leo Burnett | Director of Innovation
Chicago, IL 05.2012 - 04.2016
Helped build Leo Burnett's Innovation Practice, bringing human-centered design and innovation into a global brand and communications organization
Led front-end innovation programs across global brands including Allstate, Whole Foods, Purina, McDonald's translating latent needs into new products and services
Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd | Design Lead, freelancer
Mumbai, India 12.2011 - 04.2012
Worked with a cross functional and cultural team to introduce Design Thinking to the executive team and execute the first disruptive design program within the biggest Indian privately held CPG corporation.
Barilla | Innovation Manager
Parma, Italy; Chicago, IL 06.2005 - 06.2010
One of the first six employees who opened the Design Center within Barilla America. Worked with a multi-disciplinary team to integrate business, brand and design strategy to build a five year innovation pipeline to help the company double their revenues and reach $1b sales in the U.S. market. Guided the creation of holistic user experiences that transformed people eating and shopping behavioural models and opened the doors to the brand to play in a whole new set of categories.
IDEO | Human Factor Specialist
London, UK + San Francisco, CA 11.2004 - 05.2005
Planned, recruited and led user research across a range of innovation programs for Nestle, Danone Numico and Scavolini that resulted in the launch of a pizza experience for at-home consumption; a structural packaging redesign for a line of medical supplements for PKU teens; a cooking and eating experience that reimagined the role of traditional kitchen design and layout.
Continuum | Design Strategist
Milano, Italy +Boston, MA 06.2003 - 10.2004
Mostly involved in a global innovation project for Tetra Pak to define the brand growth strategy for the U.S. and China and transform the drinking experience on-the-go. Conducted design research to identify physical, emotional and sociocultural needs around the ideal drinking experience. Facilitated the analysis phase and generated actionable insights that inspired the development of the new generation of beverage packaging.
EDUCATION
Illinois Institute of Design
Chicago, IL
Master of Design (GPA 4.0)
Politecnico di Milano
Milan, Italy
B.S - M.S Business Engineering (100/100)
PATENTS
Microwaveable Nested Trays
US 8226999
Flexible Wristband Key Holder
US 61723731
Francesca.passoni@gmail.com