#22 Andrea Guertin — Design leadership, consulting and being a mom
Description
Andrea Guertin is a seasoned design strategist and innovation leader currently heading Design & Co-creation at Kyndryl Vital Canada. With a Master's in Social Design, she has held key positions at Bridgeable, Deloitte, and Gensler, specializing in bridging business strategy with design thinking.
Guertin's expertise lies in facilitating executive-level workshops, driving organizational transformation, and implementing human-centred design approaches across various industries. From her early days as a design strategist to her current role as a transformational leader, Andrea Guertin has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation and design in business.
Her journey includes founding a B2B market research firm, teaching service design at the college level, and advising executives on inclusive design. Guertin's career is marked by a commitment to solving complex challenges through creative problem-solving and co-creation, leaving a significant impact on organizations ranging from startups to global consultancies.
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Guest, Andrea Guertin:
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👉🏼 CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Modelling gig story
00:01:36 How do you say 'Guertin' by the way?
00:03:14 Who is Andrea Guertin?
00:06:50 A designer who no longer designs
00:11:27 Where GREAT designers and consultants overlap
00:22:41 Telling people vs taking them along
00:29:02 Be confident in being the dumbest person in the room
00:32:26 Embrace the messy nature of the work
00:36:01 Curiosity over conclusions
00:44:28 Why consulting gets a bad reputation?
00:50:44 Secrets of facilitation no one talks about
00:58:15 How quality of your questions builds trust
01:08:44 USA vs Canada
01:20:22 The 'S' word (strategy)
01:23:43 Andrea shares personal stories about being a mom
01:39:32 What led to Andrea leaving her job as the CEO
01:45:03 Nerd out on strategy
02:08:34 What the client is asking for vs what they need and want
02:16:12 Role of curiosity in your job search and advice for women
02:24:43 3001 Questions all about me
02:32:33 Final words, closing remarks