This insight describes an argument that designers tend to stick to design, they have little to no experience in managing other areas, and this being something that defines the necessary flexibility for anyone to get a position in the C-suite of a large corporation. It’s the example of CEO’s that started in a low wage […]
Preparation
7. Scarcity – There aren’t enough qualified designers with the right experience in the market.
This insight was added because several of the interviewees stated that, if the F50 companies decided all at once to hire a new designer for an executive position in their C-suite, they would have a very hard time because there were not enough qualified designers with the right experience in the market, that many of […]
Is it because they don’t have an engineering degree?
According to market data, engineering is the most common undergraduate degree of the F500 CEOs, and it has been for some time. Approximately one third of CEOs majored in engineering and only 11% graduated from business school. This might be another insight that impacts access to Designers to this selective group, a strong engineering, highly […]
Is it because they didn’t do an MBA?
We engaged with designers that did an MBA and asked them if they felt that it had the right return on investment, if it allowed them to evolve in their careers the way they somehow expected, planned. While all that did an MBA expressed that it was important, fundamental to their professional career, none of […]
6. Preparation – Designers don’t have the right education and training, skill set, mindset.
This insight describes an argument where designers don’t have the right education and training, skillset, mindset. While these elements are all different in nature – education what you get in school, training what you can get throughout your career, skillset embodies hard + soft skills and result from natural and apprehended means, and mindset which […]
5. Access – Designers are not selected for the job, not invited, not mentored and groomed for it.
This insight describes a context in which designers are not selected for the job, not invited, not mentored and groomed for it. While many designers cite this as a true insight impacting the reality described by the question we pose, this is seen by non-designers as a typical complaint of a group of people that […]
4. Desire – Designers don’t want/ aspire this role, stops them from crafting their practice.
This insight generally describes an argument where designers don’t want, don’t aspire this role, it comes with a number of unwanted responsibilities and impact in the personal life and ethos of a designer. Interestingly enough, what many non-designers described as a lack of desire for the role did not match the response from the senior/ […]
So, why there aren’t more designers in the c-suite of large corporations?
The list of insights generated is done so in a statement format, almost as they were stated by the interviewees directly or implicitly. Research and reflection was conducted as if these were hypothesis, in some cases results pointed clearly towards a response, but in others the response was elusive, and in other cases there are […]