Sarah Marie
Design Leader | Product & Organizational Strategy
I transform how design operates.
That means aligning executives around shared vision, scaling teams without sacrificing culture, and establishing design as a strategic partner.
Leadership Impact
80%
roadmap aligned
(3 VPs unified)
2→15+
org scaled
(multi-layer)
100%
10+ years
retention
(3+ years)
AI leadership
(products & strategy)
Selected Work
How I've led design to shape strategy, build teams, and drive business impact.
FX Blueprint: Strategic Vision & Executive Alignment
Northwestern Mutual | Led 5 design leads, aligned 3 VPs, presented to CEO
Orchestrated design-led vision achieving 80% roadmap alignment and consolidating 60+ tools into 5 platform experiences, plus $10M for net new Blueprint work. Continues to guide business strategy and funding decisions today.
Guiding the FX Blueprint from concept to Playback 0
Elevated design to strategic partner by earning seat at planning and funding decisions and embedding into company SDLC. Redesigned team structure and partnerships. Doubled capacity without new headcount, +36 performance, +20 belonging, 100% retention.
Northwestern Mutual | Organizational transformation
Doubling Capacity, Zero Headcount
Restructuring design from a shared pool into accountable, experience-led teams
Democratizing AI on Factory Floors
IBM | Design Lead, 9 AI-native products shipped over 3 years
Enabled operators and engineers to build, train, and monitor their own AI models without data scientists. Led 9 0-1 AI-native products over 3 years. Validated market strategy through 45+ factory visits across North America, Europe, and China.
Operator reviewing AI-detected defects on factory floor
Workrise | Lead Designer, strategic delivery
Closing Multi-Million Dollar Blind Spot
Unified scattered tracking into demand capture system addressing zero formal visibility. Interviewed 45+ users, partnered with the Director of Product, and delivered a ready-to-build MVP in <1 quarter. Enabled forecasting and 50% faster client response.
Closing the demand visibility gap through a unified system
No-Code Market Expansion Strategy
IBM | Design Lead → Manager, scaled team 2→9
Identified competitive threat and partnered with the Director of Product to develop market entry strategy. Secured executive approval through "concept car" approach, validated new market segment with 80% beta success, and positioned IBM to compete for non-technical business users.
Opening a new market segment through a no-code platform