Janaki Kumar has a proven track record of creating conditions for success as a design leader in highly technical, global companies. After nearly eighteen years at SAP—most recently as VP, Design Evangelist in the Office of the Chief Design Officer—she now serves as Chief Design Officer of Global Banking at JPMorgan Chase, where she has worked for the past six and a half years. As one of the newest founding members of the Design Executive Council, we sat down with Janaki to gain insight into her perspectives.
JPMorgan Chase, a leading global financial services firm operating in over 100 countries, is where Janaki leads a global design team, including digital experience designers, researchers, and content strategists. Her team is dedicated to delivering best-in-class design that elevates the firm’s services for its diverse Commercial, Corporate, and Investment Banking clients—from emerging startups to midsize businesses, corporations, institutions, and governments.
In this member Q&A, we spotlight Janaki’s views on the evolution of design leadership, the shifting landscape of the industry, and her own journey toward becoming a Chief Design Officer.
1. History of Design Story:
What was your first design job, and how did your career unfold from there? What was your background leading into that role, and what was it like to be a designer at that time?
My journey with design and technology started well before Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) became a recognized field. I came into design with a Master’s in Finance from India, another in Management Information Systems from Boston University, and a foundation in computer programming. This background positioned me at the intersection of business, technology, and design, and my career began with implementing financial software, customizing it, building dashboards, and training users.
Though I enjoyed the technical and business challenges, my true passion lay in making technology intuitive and genuinely helpful for people. Spending countless hours fine-tuning software and building dashboards, the moments that stood out were when I saw users light up, realizing how much easier their work could be. Making complex technology accessible and intuitive has always been my driving force, blending form and function to empower people. As Steve Jobs once said, ‘The computer is a bicycle for the mind.’ I truly believe technology’s role is to amplify human potential—empowering us to think bigger, move faster, and achieve more. Let’s create tools that make smart people even smarter.”
As my career evolved, I focused on creating experiences that merge form and function while leading high-performing teams to tackle complex challenges and deliver impactful solutions. I’m committed to diversity and inclusion, knowing that innovation thrives when every voice is heard.
2. Design Leadership Journey:
What is your current role and scope? How did your career experiences enable you to get to where you are today? Are there any key lessons from your journey? How have these experiences shaped your views on design and business?
Today, I lead Global Banking design at JPMorgan Chase, where my mission is to humanize financial services and foster a culture of creativity and innovation. In this role, I collaborate with some of the world’s top financial minds to make services more accessible and intuitive for everyone, while building and nurturing a design team that values creativity and inclusiveness.
Throughout my career, I’ve tackled large-scale business challenges, learning that strong networks and cross-functional teamwork are essential to solving complex problems. My curiosity and understanding of both business and technology have helped me build trust with stakeholders, allowing me to gain support for our team’s design solutions.These experiences have reinforced my belief that design should be rooted in empathy and always centered around the client. My goal is to create solutions that not only meet business objectives but also enrich human experiences. As a mother of three daughters, I am particularly motivated to create a world where they can reach their full potential. Often being the only senior woman in the room, I am driven to represent myself well and inspire my daughters and other young people like them.
3. Leadership Philosophy:
What, in your view, makes a strategic design executive? How do you measure success in your role? And what kind of role do design executives need to play in the 21st century?
I firmly believe that “No one hires a design team to maintain the status quo.” A strategic design executive excels in design but also deeply understands business strategy and the transformative power of technology. As the pace of change and customer expectations accelerate, design leaders are essential in guiding meaningful organizational transformation. It’s our responsibility to ensure that innovations are focused on addressing real human needs, not just technological potential for its own sake.
I measure success by the ability to see ideas come to life and gain traction. For instance, while co-teaching at Stanford’s Graduate Business School in Customer Experience Design from a Neuroscience Perspective, I explored how our rational and emotional minds influence decision-making. These insights have helped me craft compelling pitches to senior executives and secure their buy-in. True success for me is achieved when end-users and customers become genuine advocates of the products and services we design.
In today’s world, design executives must be versatile, blending design skills with business acumen and technological insight. We need to be empathetic leaders who can drive transformation and ensure that innovations genuinely improve human experiences.
4. Forward-looking Changes in the Industry:
What pivotal changes do we need to make as a profession? What is holding us back, and where do we need to make concerted changes?
To elevate our profession, design leaders must step beyond the comfort of design craft and embrace its business value. By tying our work to business outcomes, we can evaluate it objectively and take on a strategic role in driving results. This shift will allow us to demonstrate design’s tangible impact on the bottom line.
A focus on aesthetics is essential—it elevates brands and builds emotional connections with users. But to fully showcase the power of design, we need to consider the broader business context. Beautiful experiences are undeniably impactful, but we must also communicate how these design enhancements drive business results.
What often holds us back is our collective struggle to articulate design’s value in business terms. As we develop better metrics and measurement tools, it will become easier to connect our teams’ work to language that resonates with key stakeholders. This will help us gain the trust and buy-in necessary to achieve strategic impact.
Imagine a world where design leaders communicate and collaborate seamlessly with business stakeholders. By speaking the language of business and aligning our goals with organizational objectives, we can build stronger partnerships. Investing in continuous learning to stay ahead of technological advancements will further enhance our work and drive innovation.
Moreover, fostering a culture of inclusivity and diversity within our teams fuels creativity and innovation. When every voice is heard, we can create more holistic and impactful solutions that reflect diverse perspectives and needs.
As technology advances, this strategic mindset will enable design leaders to harness it thoughtfully, enhancing the design profession as a whole. By embracing these changes, we ensure that design not only meets but exceeds the evolving needs of businesses and users alike.
5. Vision for DXC:
What is your vision for DXC? How do you see us making a positive impact on our members, the design industry, and the broader business world?
My vision for the Design Executive Council (DXC) is to become a beacon of excellence and innovation in the design industry. I see DXC as a transformative force that elevates design leadership to a strategic level, empowering leaders to drive meaningful change within their organizations and beyond.
For our members, DXC is a platform for growth and development. By offering opportunities to upskill and articulate design’s value in business terms, we equip leaders to navigate ambiguity and make strategic decisions confidently. Our community cultivates a collaborative culture, enabling members to share insights, learn from each other, and collectively push the boundaries of design’s potential.
In the broader design industry, DXC sets a high standard for excellence. We champion the integration of design thinking into business strategy, demonstrating design’s capacity to drive innovation and competitive advantage. By showcasing success stories and best practices, we inspire other organizations to recognize design’s strategic value and invest in their design functions.
In the wider business world, DXC plays a pivotal role in fostering a culture of design-led creativity and innovation. We guide organizations to see design’s power to solve complex problems, enhance user experiences, and drive results. By bridging the gap between design and business, we make design an integral part of strategic planning and execution.
Imagine a world where design leaders are at the forefront of organizational transformation, their insights and creativity actively shaping the future of business. DXC is the catalyst for this vision, providing the tools, resources, and community support necessary to make it a reality.
Together, we can harness design’s potential to create lasting impact on our members, the design industry, and the broader business landscape. Let’s elevate design leadership to new heights and drive the change we wish to see.