Benedikt Lehnert is a seasoned design executive with 20+ years of experience shaping how millions interact with technology. A maker at heart, he has led world-class teams across startups and Fortune 10 companies.
He is the founder of 74West, an advisory practice for CEOs, executives, and boards navigating pivotal moments at the intersection of customer experience, design integration, and strategy execution. He also serves as an Entrepreneurship & Design Fellow at Princeton University, teaching entrepreneurship and design leadership through the Keller Center’s programs. His work explores AI and co-creativity, neuroaesthetics, and the socio-economic responsibility of design.
As a board member of the Design Executive Council (DXC), Benedikt helps shape the standards of humanistic design and strategic leadership in an AI-driven world. Until January 2025, he was Chief Design Officer at Stark, tackling digital accessibility, which he sees as one of the century’s biggest design challenges affecting 2B+ people globally.
Previously, he was Chief Design Officer at SAP, leading 1,000+ designers and engineers to transform customer experience as the company shifted to a cloud- and AI-first business. At Microsoft, he led UX teams for Office and M365 Experiences. Benedikt joined Microsoft through the $150M+ acquisition of Wunderlist, where he was Chief Design Officer, scaling the product team and securing funding from Atomico and Sequoia Capital. An angel investor, keynote speaker, and author of Typoguide, his award-winning work spans hardware, software, and brand design.
