^{Pictured above: Heather Winkle (DXC Research Chair) and Gordon Ching (DXC Founder & CEO)}

‍San Francisco - May 29, 2024 - Design Executive Council (DXC), the premier membership-based organization for corporate design executives, today announced the formation of DXC Research, its business intelligence arm. Veteran Chief Design Officer Heather Winkle has been appointed as committee chair.

Heather brings over 30 years of experience as a design leader, most recently serving as Chief Design Officer at McAfee and SVP, Global Head of Design at Capital One. She has also held design leadership roles at Apple, Adobe, eBay, and Yahoo. As Chair of the DXC Research committee, Heather brings expertise in strategic design leadership, design organizations, product innovation, and business and technology transformation.

DXC Research aims to advance how companies compete in the experience economy by effectively operationalizing strategic design leadership. It leverages the expertise and track records of its members, who are seasoned design executives at the VP, SVP and C-level of major public and private companies. DXC Research sources insights from executives who bridge the gap between the boardroom and design studio.

DXC Research harnesses the untapped knowledge capital of DXC's premier membership, representing over $1 trillion in market capitalization and $600 billion in annual revenues. These design executives come from diverse industries and have an average of 20+ years of experience in corporate design leadership.

As DXC Research chair, Heather will guide the advancement of best practices in strategic design leadership, governance, and management. In partnership with the DXC and its members, she will support the synthesis of knowledge to establish DXC Research as a center of excellence for business intelligence and innovation.

“By bringing together the world’s most accomplished design and business executives who represent major players across the business landscape, we are building a distinct organization to address critical questions businesses face today and in a dynamic future. DXC Research enables us to partner strategic design executives with CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, board directors and other cross-functional leaders to amplify innovation profitably, ethically and sustainably,” she said. 

Founder & CEO of Design Executive Council, Gordon Ching added that "DXC Research represents a significant step in our mission to advance strategic design leadership. By leveraging the extensive experience of our members, we can provide unparalleled insights and data that differentiate DXC in the marketplace. Our goal is to transform the role of design in business, ensuring that it is a key driver of growth, innovation and long-term success."

‍