WDO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Programmes & Communications Director
Andréa is a Public Relations professional with 20 years experience in corporate communications, media and investor relations, as well as project and event management. Her experience in the development of branding strategies in the fields of information technology, telecommunications and consumer goods led her to WDO in 2005. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in the development of the organization's principal programmes and projects, as well as in the formulation of global alliance strategy to achieve its growth and profitability objectives. In her current dual leadership role, she is charged with empowering an extended team to drive global visibility and is accountable for effective, cross-programme alignment.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Manager and Sustainable Design Advisor
Bertrand is a not-for-profit organization manager and sustainable design advisor with more than 20 years experience. He is a confirmed lecturer who eagerly advocates for design's social, environmental and economic impacts, for the betterment of the world. After graduating from the School of Design at Université de Montréal, he practiced design in a studio, as well as in a manufacturing company. He joined the Institute for Product Development as the Sustainable Design Advisor and became the general manager of the Institute in 2012, where he developed private and public partnerships, both locally and internationally, helping organizations improve their innovation practices. He has also served as President of the Quebec Association of Industrial Designers (ADIQ) in Montreal (Canada) and participates as an advisor on many public and sectoral committees and juries.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- Vice President
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- Community Engagement Officer
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- Professor, Head of Industrial Design Dept
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- CEO
- Director General
- Member of the Board
- India, Board Member
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- Founder Director / Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology ( SMI )
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- Director
- Member of the Board
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- Member of the Board
- President
- Board Member ( Not Pictured )
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- Vice President / Chiba University
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- Member of the Board
- President - Elect
- Treasurer
- 2009 - 2011 President
- Director of Business Development at Interactivism
Dr. Mark Breitenberg is currently Director of Business Development at Interactivism. From 2012 to 2015, he was Special Assistant to the President at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (California). From 2009 to 2012, he was the Provost at California College of the Arts in San Francisco and Oakland. Dr. Breitenberg also served as Chair of the jury for the 2010 National Design Awards at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and was appointed to the San Francisco Arts Commission, Civic Design in 2010. As Dean at Art Center College of Design (2003-2009), he created various new research programs and curricula, including one based on the transdisciplinary complement of liberal arts and sciences to studio practice.
Job Titles:
- 2015 - 2017 President
- Kenya, President
- South Africa, President - Elect
Job Titles:
- President
- Secretary General
- Vice President
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- Project Manager
- Programmes Manager
Eric Lauwers is an accomplished project manager and has worked in a variety of nonprofit and for-profit organizations ranging from the creative industry, science journalism, design, social economy, telecommunications, etc. His major experience lies in strategizing and working with cross-functional teams to bring about fundamental change and improvements in strategy and project process. He first joined WDO in 2019 as a project manager for WDC Lille Metropole 2020 and WDC Valencia 202, and contributed to the design challenges. As Programmes Manager, his focus will be on the World Design Capital (WDC) and World Design Protopolis (WDP) programmes, among others. Eric is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Professor of Design at the International Design School of Advanced Studies
Ken Nah is a design educator and practitioner. He serves as board member to the Korea Institute of Design Promotion and Vice President to the Korea Federation of Design Associations. Ken is a Service Merit Medal recipient from the President of Korea for contributing to promote Korea's design industry.
Ken Nah is currently a professor of design at the International Design School of Advanced Studies at Hongik University in South Korea. As an active supporter of educating and training the young minds, he dedicates time and effort to mentor designers with their struggle to design up-and-coming products and services.
Job Titles:
- Chief Design Officer
- Director
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- Honorary Treasurer
- Member of the Board
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- Member of the Board
- Vice President
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- Member of the Board
- Artist, Designer, Professor, President / Art22 Foundation
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- Member of the Board
- Vice President
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- Honorary Treasurer
- Member of the Board
Job Titles:
- Australia, President - Elect
- Australia, Treasurer
- CEO of Good Design Australia
- President / Australia
Dr. Brandon Gien is the CEO of Good Design Australia, an international design promotion organization that conducts Australia's Good Design Awards program. Dr. Gien is an Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design and holds a PhD in Environmental Design at the University of Canberra. He was formerly General Manager of Design Strategy and Head of Corporate Services at Standards Australia, recognized by the Government as Australia's peak standards body. In 2011, he was made a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia for his contribution to the design profession in Australia.
Job Titles:
- Professor, Design Management / Savannah College of Art & Design
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- Vice President
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- President / Taiwan Design Research Institute
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President - Elect
Dr. David Kusuma is the former Senior Vice President of Product Management & Innovation at Oregon Tool. Prior to this, David served as the Vice President of Research & Innovation and Vice President of Product Development Worldwide at Tupperware Brands Corporation. During his tenure, he was tasked with subverting conventional boundaries of innovation by developing new technologies and materials to create game-changing product solutions. As a result, they developed 150 to 200 new products every year, and launched them in over 100 countries around the world. David has also worked at General Electric (GE) as Global Manager, Design and Vehicle Engineering, to develop the use of polycarbonate as a viable alternative to glass in automotive window systems. Prior to GE, David worked at Bayer Material Science. David holds a PhD from Cranfield University (United Kingdom), an MBA from Tilburg University (The Netherlands), a MS in Engineering Management from Purdue University, a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, and a BS in Industrial Design from Carnegie-Mellon University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- 1992 - 1993 President
Deane W. Richardson, has spent more than 40 years integrating research, design and development disciplines to solve tactical and strategic design problems for corporations worldwide. In 1956, Richardson graduated from Pratt Institute with a degree in industrial design. In 1960, Richardson Co-founded RichardsonSmith, a consulting firm that in 1990, merged with Fitch, a successful retail design firm in London. Richardson has been active in the global design community, especially in the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (now World Design Organization). In 1985, Richardson chaired the Worldesign Icsid Congress in Washington, DC. It was the largest international assembly of designers in the United States. In 1989, he chaired a session at the Nagoya Icsid Congress. He served Icsid as a Board member. Then he became Icsid president from 1992 to 1993, representing global interests of industrial design from more than 50 countries and 100 design societies. He was part of the planning group for the 2007 Icsid Congress in San Francisco. Currently, he is a WDO Senator.
Job Titles:
- President / Samsung Art and Design Institute
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- Member of the Board
- Vice President
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- Member of the Board
- Vice President
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- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Honorary Treasurer
- President
Job Titles:
- Honorary Treasurer
- Member of the Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Board Member ( Not Pictured )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
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- President, GK Design / Japan Industrial Designers' Association
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- Member of the Board
- President
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
Job Titles:
- President
- Secretary General
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- Architect
- Designer
- Member of the Board
- President Elect
- 2003 - 2005 President
Luigi Ferrara is an architect, designer, urbanist and strategist and has been the Dean of the Centre for Arts, Design and Information Technology at George Brown College since 2002. Under his guidance, the Centre was ranked one of the top 60 design schools in North America, according to Business Week magazine, and its Institute Without Boundaries was ranked as one of the top 4 Urban Design programs in the world by Azure magazine. He holds a Bachelor in Architecture from the University of Toronto, and is a registered architect with seal. He has over 30 years of experience in private and public sector urban development and innovation and lends his expertise to almost a dozen boards and associations.
Job Titles:
- Head of Programmes & Impact / Digital Society School
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- Member of the Board
- Director / Design
- United Kingdom, Board Member
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- Member of the Board
- Vice President
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- Member of the Board
- Board Member ( Not Pictured )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President Elect
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- Secretary General
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Senior VP, Corp. Marketing and Innovation / Compal Electronics Inc
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- President / South Korea
- South Korea, President - Elect
Job Titles:
- President - Elect
- Treasurer
- 2019 - 2021 President
- Member of IDSA
Srini is a highly accomplished designer & entrepreneur in creative design and technology development, with over 25 years of work experience in the Silicon Valley, United States and India.
He has been a Keynote Speaker on several Design Conferences across the globe on Innovation & Design topics. He has been a Member of the Jury on several well-known Design Awards across the globe.
Srini is an active member of IDSA, the professional body for Industrial Designers in the US. He also had been a Jury of Core77 Product design (2016); India Design Mark, (2018); Innovations Judge at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for four years (2016-2018, 2012); and IEEE Panel "Design for Usability" in Jan 2013 at Las Vegas. He is currently one of the judges for "Eureka Park Climate Change Award" for 2019.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
- CEO / Hyvonen Design Oy
Job Titles:
- President
- President - Elect
- Treasurer
- President of the World Design Organization
Dr. Thomas Garvey is President of the World Design Organization, an international non-governmental organization that promotes the profession of industrial design and its ability to generate better products, systems, services, experiences, and ultimately a better environment and society.
Garvey has worked across a range of design disciplines and global settings and has led international teams in professional design projects and research programs and co-chaired the reintroduction of the Research and Education Forum at the World Design Assembly in 2019.
Prior to WDO, Garvey was Associate Professor in the School of Industrial Design at Carleton University where he was Director from 2007-2017. He specialized in design for extreme and minimal environments. His interest in small-scale living spaces grew out of work in New York on space station interiors and led to doctoral studies at the University of Tokyo on the topic of housing and urban density. In 2022, he was appointed as Distinguished Visiting Professor in the School of Design of Hunan University.
Garvey and his teams have earned numerous awards, and their work has been presented around the world. He holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University, a M.Sc. in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in New York, and a Ph.D. in Architectural Planning from the University of Tokyo.
Professional Experience
Koizumi Sangyo Corporation, Osaka (1994-96)
Michael Kalil Foundation, New York (1991-93)
Kalil Studio, New York (1988-90)
Space Studies Institute, Princeton (1987-88)
Pentagram Partner Etan Manasse Associates, New York (1987-88)
Job Titles:
- CEO / Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia
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- Secretary General ( 1985 - 2003 )
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- Member of the Board
- ( Retired ) Manager / SABS Design Institute
- South Africa, Board Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Executive Managing Director
- South Korea Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Design Expert, Educator, Guest Lecturer / Moholy - Nagy University of Art
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- Hong Kong, Board Member
- Professor of Industrial Design, Dean Emerita / Rochester Institute of Technology
Job Titles:
- President - Elect
- 2017 - 2019 President
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- Director / Japan Institute of Design Promotion
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- Associate Professor in the Undergraduate Program of Industrial Design
Job Titles:
- ECD of User Experience Content Strategy
Natalie Dutil is a communications professional with over 10 years of experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors. Her work has varied to include public & media relations, product launches, store openings, local and international event management and internal corporate communications. Natalie joins WDO with an enthusiasm for communicating the oganization's vision and mission of design for a better world. As the Communications Manager, she facilitates the development of content and ensures consistency and visibility across the organization's roster of programmes.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Taiwan Design Research
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
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- Member of the Board
- President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President - Elect
- 2007 - 2009 President
Professor Carlos Hinrichsen graduated as an industrial designer in Chile in 1982 and earned his master's degree in Engineering in Japan in 1991. Currently, he is Dean of Faculty of Digital Design and Creative Industries at the Universidad San Sebastian, based in Santiago, Chile. At present, Chile is in transition from an efficiency-based towards an innovation-based economy. In order to achieve this important national goal, the university contributes with initiatives combining applied research, innovation, business, design, digital transformation, technology and engineering.
From 2007 to 2009, Carlos Hinrichsen was President of the World Design Organization (formerly Icsid), and currently serves as a Senator of the organization. In 2010, he was honoured with the distinction "Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland". From 2014 to 2016, he was Dean of the Faculty of Business, Engineering and Digital Arts at the Gabriela Mistral University in Santiago and from 2016 to 2017, he was the Senior Managing Coordinator of Engineering Design in the School of Engineering in the P. Universidad Católica de Chile. For more than three decades he has led interdisciplinary teams to enable corporations, educational and other institutions to gain leadership and competitive positioning.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President - Elect
- 2005 - 2007 President
- Design Expert
Peter Zec (*1956) is an internationally acclaimed design expert and author, best known for initiating and leading the Red Dot Design Award. Since 1991, he has been president of the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, which organizes the award. He was president of both the Federation of German Graphic Designers (BDG) and the Association of German Industrial Designers (VDID). From 2006-2007, he was chairman of the International Design Alliance. In 2016, he received the honorary citizenship of the City of Seoul for his commitment to the South Korean capital.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- President
- Treasurer
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- Member of the Board
- Board Member ( Not Pictured )
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- Head of the Department of Industrial Design / Middle East Technical University
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- Professor of Practice / Tongji University
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- Professor in Industrial Design
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- Dean, College of Desgn and Innovation
As the Accounts Administrator, Rose contributes to the ongoing advancement and achievement of WDO's strategic objectives through the facilitation of essential administrative functions. Her responsibilities include bookkeeping, preparing financial statements, quarterly and annual reports, as well as assisting with other related accounting duties. Rose also provides administrative and project support to the management team at the Secretariat.
Job Titles:
- Programmes & Communications Officer
With a background in sustainable community development, Sarah has several years of professional and volunteer experience with a variety of member-based non-profit organizations. She is a skilled communicator, with proven expertise in event management, public relations and community outreach. As the Programmes & Communications Officer at WDO, she contributes to the development and curation of content to ensure consistency across all communications platforms and collaborates on programme-specific projects. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts in International Development from McGill University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- President