Karri Ojanen.

Transformation & Design Leadership

An evidence-led, human-centered
mindset is my superpower.
I use it to lead.

Transformation Leader · Human-Centered Strategist · 25+ years across Helsinki, New York & Toronto

I've spent 25 years moving between design, business, and organizational change — from concept design in Helsinki, to interaction design in New York, to leading a design practice at RBC Royal Bank of Canada, to coaching design capability into global teams today. Wherever I've worked, the job has been the same: take a human-centered, evidence-led approach out of the studio and put it to work on the problems that actually move a business.

Portrait of Karri Ojanen

Where I Add Value

Service Design & Systems Thinking Transformation Strategy & Business Cases Design Leadership & Coaching Organizational Design Maturity & Governance Customer Experience (CX) Strategy Cross-Market & Cross-Functional Facilitation Stakeholder Alignment & Executive Communication Human-Centered, Evidence-Based Research

Translator

I turn fuzzy, high-stakes problems into business cases people act on. At RBC Royal Bank of Canada, I helped lead the diagnosis and redesign of how customers opened new accounts — identifying where the experience was failing both customers and the business, then building the case for change that got it funded.

“At RBC, Karri was instrumental in laying the groundwork for our journey-focused teams. Those teams now benefit from ways of working that Karri helped define. He's a master at simplifying the complex, and cutting a clear path through ambiguity.”

Dave Dennis — Digital Product & UX Design Leader, ex-RBC Royal Bank of Canada, now at Dealer-FX

Capability Builder

I don't just do the work — I build the muscle for it in others. I've grown design practices from a handful of people into teams of dozens, and today I coach experience design teams and leaders directly, including a multi-region engagement supporting a team's first major digital initiatives in Asia.

“Karri strikes the balance of providing a strategic perspective on overall programs while being able to get into the tactics and help teams understand how to adopt a design mindset.”

Marissa Freed — Director, Experience Design Strategy, Sun Life

Systems Thinker

I came to design through systems thinking, not the other way around — a habit formed early in my career in Finland, where service design and concept design were already blending business, technology, and human needs before that mindset was common in North America. I use that lens on organizations the same way I'd use it on a customer journey: as a system that can be redesigned.

“Someone from a digital marketing background who clearly gets it from both the business, customer, and creative perspective. Working with Karri enabled me to bring a different type of conversation to our clients and prospects that wasn't possible before.”

Reuben Segelbaum — Founder, VP Client Services, Insurgency

Educator & Voice

I hold a d.MBA focused on human-centered design and business strategy, plus formal training in design and audiovisual production. I bring that combination into the classroom teaching Service Design and UX Design at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies, and into my writing on design leadership, systems thinking, and where AI fits into the future of design work.

“A more empathetic and wise design leader you'd be hard pressed to find. Karri is a generous leader, an excellent listener, and a practical strategist.”

Anna Foat — Director, XD Client Value Proposition Design, Sun Life