Karel Vredenburg has led design worldwide at IBM for most of his three decades with the company. For the past nine years, Karel introduced and implemented IBM’s new design system including Enterprise Design Thinking into each of the business units of the company globally—software, services, systems, and sales—as well as to hundreds of other companies, typically working with their C-suite level executives and boards. He is currently responsible for IBM’s global design leadership, the company’s internal profession and culture of design, and the design organization’s external engagement and academic programs.

Haidy Perez-Francis is the VP of Design for IBM's Cybersecurity Division where she leads an award winning team to tackle the world’s toughest cybercrimes. Her passion for design started 19 years ago when she established herself as a print designer and has since transitioned into specializing in delivering enterprise software for companies across the world. In the past six years at IBM, she has delivered a unified client experience and vision while continuing to align design outcomes to business strategy. Haidy advocates for equity in what is traditionally seen as a male dominated industry and is particularly passionate about leveling up women of color in the tech industry.

Nigel has been a leader in software, technical transformation, and design since he founded one of Austin’s first digital product consultancies in 1996. Nigel joined IBM in 2014 and is the design executive for the Ecosystem Platforms & Experiences team, which is the home for IBM’s enterprise digital presence. The team delivers market differentiation through holistic digital journeys built on Carbon- IBM’s unified digital design system. In addition, Nigel leads IBM's Racial Equity in Design initiative. Through Nigel’s leadership, the company is implementing long term transformation around closing the racial equity gap in the profession of design while improving the career experiences for black designers inside IBM and beyond.

Shani works as a Design Executive at IBM, leading their design-driven transformation. Her role encompasses defining the design mission and strategy for the IBM Z product family, advancing design practice thinking throughout the company with an emphasis on superior client experiences and building connection and culture across the Design Research, Content Design, Front-End Development, UX Design and Visual Design Departments. A creative thinker and doer, Shani came to the Berlin School of Creative Leadership to challenge herself in a non-traditional educational environment and find inspiration and knowledge from an international class of participants facing similar complexities in their industries. "My output is at its richest maximum when it is informed in a multidisciplinary way. As I have progressed in my career, the stakes are higher and navigating through interpersonal factors and complex problems are all persistent variables. The rigorous practice and various tools the Executive MBA has offered me are invaluable to continue to meet these challenges, specifically in the context of creativity."

Based in New York, Todd brings over 25 years of multi-disciplinary experience to IBM, and has the distinction of being the very first “Designer” in the Company’s long history to be brought on as an Executive. In his 8 years since joining, Todd and team have worked closely across all businesses and disciplines to elevate every expression of IBM, every experience, as well as to help evolve and expand the IBM Design Program itself, our philosophy, principals, and practices. Today, with even more business emphasis on design excellence, Todd is in a new role, co-leading the IBM Blue Studio, which is bringing together all creatives (including partners) across business units, marketing, content, digital, social, events and environments into a single studio model. Todd has been named among the Most Creative People in Business and Most Influential People Shaping The Future of Design by Fast Company.