ANDREI CERVANTES
HUMAN-CENTERED LEADER TYPE
IN OTHER WORLDS: DESIGN DIRECTORDESIGN CONSULTANTDESIGN STRATEGISTDIRECTOR OF EXPERIENCE DESIGNHEAD OF DESIGN STRATEGYHEAD OF EXPERIENCEDESIGN THINKING LEADDESIGN ADOPTION LEAD
Through design principles, I establish the conditions for and lead teams toward outcomes of compelling value, in a rapid and low-risk manner. Keep going to understand the different roles I serve to be able to do so.
SOME DAYS, I'M A UNIFIER
THE QUESTION
How might we continue transforming the way sellers engage with clients, but in a unified manner?
THE DISCOVERY
Eleven siloed global teams with the same goal, working on about 100 overlapping, even contradicting work streams.
THE APPROACH
Created and delivered a first-of-its-kind workshop. Activities captured each team’s human-centered objectives, outlined supporting mechanisms, and grouped mechanisms by user and intent. Then identified opportunities for cross-team collaboration and roadmapped a unified plan.
THE OUTCOME
Eleven teams, apart but together, delivering a cohesive transformation experience to sellers all over the world. Secondarily, the success of this effort has led to repeated use of the aforementioned workshop, to solve complex misalignment across IBM’s global teams.
THE QUESTION
How might we get IBMers and clients up to speed on the new automation messaging?
THE DISCOVERY
On one hand, a go-to-market message that was unclear, unspoken, lacked buy-in, and unready for adoption. On the other, an expansive, fractured and political ecosystem rooted in systemic misalignment and a splintered language.
THE APPROACH
Worked with 7 geo teams to understand local messaging, client aspirations and market trends. Canvassed automation POVs of analysts, the competition and leadership. Then crafted a singular, clear and differentiating automation language.
THE OUTCOME
From many and divergent to a single language — repositioning automation as a catalyst for reinvention rather than a tool for chaining simple tasks. Drove greater client impact, larger scopes of work and bigger deals. Adopted globally, via in-person bootcamps and a microlearning digital experience.
THE QUESTION
Why isn’t the IBM Way sticking?
THE DISCOVERY
All six orgs tasked with reinventing the mindset and behavior of the company’s workforce (the IBM Way) were disjointed, siloed, contradictory and, at times, disinterested in a united effort.
THE APPROACH
Performed comprehensive research on each org’s human-centered objectives, their compliance with the IBM Way, their work streams, and their sprawling ecosystems. Then identified pains, gaps and barriers that prevented a cohesive effort.
THE OUTCOME
A common understanding of their wayward ways — from brand compliance and content integration to enablement methods and program integration. This led to an actionable plan that resolved their misalignment and sustained their victories.
OTHER DAYS, I'M A PROBLEM SOLVER
THE QUESTION
How might the largest insurer in the world improve their inefficient digital quote-to-bind process for cyber insurance?
THE DISCOVERY
The process featured plenty of manual intervention, lots of back and forth, lengthy forms, scattered information, slow processing, and long turnaround times — an experience so bad that brokers often bailed on it and directly contacted their favorite agent or underwriter. Additionally, brokers didn’t know much about cyber insurance, so client relationships were often transactional, rather than consultative.
THE APPROACH
Pulled together a multidisciplinary team across relevant business units. Held interviews with brokers. Co-created a vision and co-scoped an MVP. Adopted rapid iteration and sharing to break through enterprise complexity, provoke learning and force decision-making.
THE OUTCOME
An entirely digital experience from quoting to binding that provided brokers with qualified leads and security assessments; assisted them to consult and collaborate in real time with clients; enabled them to easily configure quotes with the help of precollected information, dynamic risk scores and contextual help; and increased the likelihood of straight-through processing — which meant more clients quickly received a clear policy that matched their needs and addressed their cyber risks.
THE QUESTION
How might we scale adoption of our automation language, across IBMers and our clients?
THE DISCOVERY
To begin with, both IBMers and clients are way too busy for upskilling activities. They’re also asked to learn plenty throughout the year, causing training fatigue. Add to that the boring, tedious and wholly unappealing nature of traditional enablement efforts.
THE APPROACH
Considered people’s entire upskilling journey, beyond just ours. Understood the ups and downs of IBM’s current enablement efforts. Researched new learning methods. Established our own learning principles. Employed rapid prototyping to collect user feedback and leadership POVs.
THE OUTCOME
A microlearning digital experience that accommodated users’ busy lives and battled disinterest thru a variety of engaging interactions — conveying the new automation language over 10 5-minute lessons that users can fit into their day here and there, pulling a 50 NPS from +50,000 individuals.
Remember, NPS spans 200 points, from -100 to +100. 50 is considered a great score.
THE QUESTION
How might we differentiate a large bank’s new credit card for affluent customers?
THE DISCOVERY
The bank’s other credit cards weren’t special in any way, meaning there wasn’t much to build on. Some matters, like card design and packaging, had already been determined. The bank had never before taken a human-centric approach and was also unable to involve designers.
THE APPROACH
Assembled a multidisciplinary team of 15 individuals from all over the bank. Equipped them with user research skills — understanding competitive cards, as well as pinpointing the needs and wants of our affluent audience. Taught them how to prototype rapidly, gather feedback, iterate and share in an engaging story-like manner.
THE OUTCOME
A compelling and empathetic end-to-end experience, from discovery and onboarding, to everyday use and management, to expansion, support and cancellation. Plus, 15 new human-centered advocates who have the experience and proof to now empower their peers in replicating this way of working.
THE QUESTION
How might an oil and gas company create a sustainability strategy, for a product perceived to counter the very idea of it?
THE DISCOVERY
A large oil and gas company, about to enter the contentious plastics industry. Being a new area for them, the client had no idea where to even begin in shaping a sustainability strategy.
THE APPROACH
Crafted new Enterprise Design Thinking activities to bring absolute clarity around the problem, understand the sustainability ecosystem (who, exactly, cares?), identify specific issues to address, establish opportunities for collaboration, and map out next steps.
THE OUTCOME
A clear, actionable plan to shape a more tangible, informed, human-centric sustainability strategy. Merely 1 of about 150 Enterprise Design Thinking workshops I’ve led, with a 90 NPS average.
Remember, NPS spans 200 points, from -100 to +100. 90 is considered an excellent score.
THE QUESTION
How might an online payments company truly understand the $50M procure-to-pay process it had just purchased?
THE DISCOVERY
Somewhere along the way, IBM and client teams lost all alignment around the $50M process that had been bought. Confusion and frustration everywhere. The big guns on both sides have been brought in.
THE APPROACH
Built custom Enterprise Design Thinking activities to — across five grueling days — link the value of the new process to client pains, clearly align on this end-to-end process, capture feedback, questions and new ideas, and further co-iterate on the process.
THE OUTCOME
Unquestioned clarity, comfort and confidence around the payment company’s new $50M procure-to-pay process. Relationships and underlying trust, restored. Delivery, green-lit.
OFTEN, I'M A TINKERER
THE QUESTION
How might we help sellers course-correct their clients’ automation efforts toward reinvention?
THE DISCOVERY
Shifting mindsets and behaviors around automation (from a tool for basic improvement to a catalyst for reinvention) was always going to be a challenge. It’s one thing to get sellers and clients to understand, completely another to get them to change their ways.
THE APPROACH
Identified common scenarios along a client’s automation journey (needing help to execute an existing plan, failing in their attempt, seeking to build on small wins, looking wholly toward reinvention). Closely co-created — with sellers and consultants — intuitive ways to reroute clients, from each of those scenarios, toward reinvention.
THE OUTCOME
Empathetic, easy-to-understand, step-by-step toolkits to help sellers all over the world confidently, independently and predictably guide their clients toward compelling reinvention — impacting ~$80M in next-quarter deals.
THE QUESTION
How might sellers accelerate progress during a client engagement?
THE DISCOVERY
Sellers would often find themselves stuck on engagements, at the mercy of clients’ lack of urgency, comfort, conviction, understanding and support — powerless to keep up momentum.
THE APPROACH
Identified key milestone moments along the client engagement. Empathized with all players involved in each moment. Established root causes for misalignment, paralysis, discomfort, dependency and confusion. Leveraged deep expertise in using workshops to hasten outcomes.
THE OUTCOME
A range of packaged, outcome-specific workshops — including custom activities, tools, materials and techniques — that allows sellers to accelerate progress at key moments of a client engagement.
THE QUESTION
How might we give offering managers an easy way to build offering-specific engagement models, while also giving sellers the freedom to respond to their clients’ unique needs?
THE DISCOVERY
Though existing engagement models for IBM Offerings were extremely specific, they were wildly different — meaning they were difficult to maintain and challenging to adopt for sellers moving from one Offering to the next.
THE APPROACH
Studied the most successful engagement models, extrapolated principles, identified key outcomes, rapidly prototyped a new instance, validated our work with offering managers, consultants and sellers, then further iterated.
THE OUTCOME
A modular engagement model that’s adaptable to any offering, while reflecting common standards. One that also allowed further customization for sellers, to address unique client circumstances — while still staying true to common ways of engagement and avoiding relearning as they move from one offering to the next.
REGULARLY, I'M A WORKFLOW REMODELER
THE QUESTION
How might we reimagine the flow of work for Trade Finance?
THE DISCOVERY
From document collection, digitization and validation, to processing and payment, the Trade Finance process is overwhelmingly manual, wildly inconsistent, continuously changing, and generally siloed between the many players involved.
THE APPROACH
Assembled a team of Trade Finance experts, process consultants, experience designers and technical architects. Aligned on pains, gaps and opportunities within the current process. Envisioned the future workflow, as experienced across the main players. Architected the underlying drivers across process, talent, data and technology. Scoped an outcome-focused MVP.
THE OUTCOME
A Trade Finance Intelligent Workflow with cognitive data collection and validation, proactive risk mitigation, transparent progress, real-time regulatory updates, business growth opportunities, among others. Expected to reduce cost per transaction by 50–75%, errors by 50%, average time to payment by 25% — then increase Trade Finance Officer productivity by 50%.
Also reimagined how work gets done within Auto Claims, Mortgage Lending and Lead-to-cash processes — all into compelling Intelligent Workflows.
THE QUESTION
How might a large Middle East airline improve their IT operations?
THE DISCOVERY
It was the Wild West, basically. Everyone talking to everyone without organization or policing. Shadow IT everywhere. Resolution relied heavily on who you knew and, even then, was extremely slow and difficult to track.
THE APPROACH
Brought together often-conflicting IT and business groups from around the organization. Mapped all the different ways work was done. Pinpointed pains, gaps and opportunities. Diverged to envision multiple futures, then converged into a single vision. Roadmapped outcome-focused delivery.
THE OUTCOME
A fully transformed operating model for the airline’s IT org — structured, easy-to-follow, transparent, efficient, governed, agile, innovative. A $27M win for IBM.
THE QUESTION
How might we free up the IT workforce for more meaningful work?
THE DISCOVERY
IBM was extremely motivated to build their first instance of software-based labor (called Digital Workers), testing the premise that this would liberate humans from mundane work. The strategy was to begin with IT roles.
THE APPROACH
Identified 10 IT roles (Application Developers, Application Consultants, Project Managers, among others). With representatives of each role present, assessed role-specific tasks by frequency, simplicity, standardization, repeatability and dependency. Then prioritized tasks to “outsource” to Digital Worker MVPs.
THE OUTCOME
Digital Workers for IT management, enabling a hybrid workforce that frees up humans for more meaningful work. Some reducing 1,000 hours of effort annually, these Digital Workers are now integral contributors to IBM’s Intelligent Workflows.
MORE THAN NOT, I'M A BEHAVIOR RENOVATOR
THE QUESTION
How might we take large leaps in the way we engage with clients?
THE DISCOVERY
Account teams stuck in old ways that no longer matched up to client needs and expectations. Often tech-focused, tactical-only, myopic, short-sighted, uninspiring, not innovative.
THE APPROACH
Performed primary research to identify patterns in account team behavior. Built an immersive three-month mentoring program that addressed these patterns via Enterprise Design Thinking principles. Seeing that other account teams would follow, we piloted the program with 5 of IBM’s largest accounts (called Integrated Accounts), then scaled to the other 85.
THE OUTCOME
Active application of Enterprise Design Thinking for IBM’s 90 Integrated Accounts — resulting in a 76% increase in opportunities, 54% happier clients, and 40% increase in deal win rate.
THE QUESTION
How might we drive adoption of Enterprise Design Thinking across Latin America?
THE DISCOVERY
Typically underserved when it comes to upskilling initiatives, IBM’s Latin American geo was predictably and painfully behind with Enterprise Design Thinking adoption in relation to the rest of the world.
THE APPROACH
Kick-started this effort via a monthlong Latin America tour, activating 250 client-facing champions across Mexico City, Guadalajara, Lima, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Followed up with waves of immersive summits, which catered to different levels of proficiency and roles — including clients. Deepened expertise via regular mentoring of standouts.
THE OUTCOME
Scaled adoption of Enterprise Design Thinking across Latin America — having activated +16,000 badged Practitioners, +1,500 badged Co-creators, 35 capable and badged Coaches, across 17 local Chapters that are now some of the most active and passionate around the world.
THE QUESTION
How might we activate client-side Enterprise Design Thinking Coaches in the most efficient manner?
THE DISCOVERY
The typical badged Coach generally requires 2–3 years to gain enough experience and develop enough skills, within their day-to-day environment, to qualify. No client would wait that long for an outcome.
THE APPROACH
Designed and piloted an intense, 6-month accelerator program with a large health insurance company — where we identified prime candidates; held onsite bootcamps; applied Enterprise Design Thinking in their day-to-day jobs; created opportunities to lead teams and other champions; provided personal mentorship; exposed them to global Design Thinking leaders.
THE OUTCOME
A never-before-done activation program that upskilled Enterprise Design Thinking Coaches in a mere 6 months (as opposed to 2–3 years). Across all 8 Coach dimensions, participants improved by an average of 6.6 points on a 10-point scale. The success of this program has earned it the distinction of an official Enterprise Design Thinking offering.
THE QUESTION
How might we accelerate global adoption of a new automation language?
THE DISCOVERY
The need was to quickly spread a new automation mindset (catalyst for reinvention vs. tool for improving tasks), as well as establish its necessary behaviors. Bootcamps had been a proven way to spark momentum, but IBMers already attend way too many of these and other enablement events. Creating a unique and interesting experience was a must.
THE APPROACH
Homed in on the behaviors that sellers need to put the mindset into practice (focus on outcomes first, think big and start small, speak in stories). Crafted and delivered a hands-on, two-day experience that reinforced these behaviors. Then in 2020, completely virtualized it for scaled and pandemic-driven delivery.
THE OUTCOME
A proven, finely tuned, and celebrated bootcamp that averaged an NPS of 65, from 400 individuals over 12 global events — impacting an estimated $80M in the following quarter.
Remember, NPS spans 200 points, from -100 to +100. 65 is considered a great score.
ALL THE TIME, I'M A DESIGN THINKING LEADER
THE QUESTION
How might we make Enterprise Design Thinking relevant beyond the product realm?
THE DISCOVERY
Enterprise Design Thinking was initially established to bring back intent and innovation to IBM’s products. Connecting the dots between this framework and the consulting and services spaces hadn’t been broached.
THE APPROACH
As part of the core team tasked with bridging the gap, we repeatedly tested, in front of clients, how the framework was positioned, articulated, learned and applied. Surfaced plenty of shortcomings — from perceived irrelevancy and gooeyness to the framework’s inward focus and design snobbiness. Reinvented and continuously iterated on how the framework is carefully explained to those outside the product world.
THE OUTCOME
A framework that now features much-needed clarity, approachability, relevance, flexibility and applicability. And one that practices what it preaches, focusing more on the people using it rather than inwardly on itself — helping everyone more easily understand and articulate the value of Enterprise Design Thinking.
THE QUESTION
How might we make it easier for nondesigners and beginners to actively apply Enterprise Design Thinking?
THE DISCOVERY
After experiencing the framework for the first time, most nondesigners and beginners become infatuated with it — but then don’t go any further.
THE APPROACH
Uncovered that nondesigners and beginners find it challenging to begin experimenting with the framework because of hesitancy, miscomprehension, discomfort, confusion, intimidation or skepticism. Rapidly prototyped, tested and iterated on a way to proactively battle these concerns.
THE OUTCOME
A methodical, packaged set of exercises and techniques to help the least experienced practitioners confidently “Enter the Loop” of Enterprise Design Thinking — translating day-to-day challenges and tasks into something the framework can immediately be applied to. No matter what’s being worked on and how far it’s progressed. Enabling all to easily jump in and apply the framework without reservation.
THE QUESTION
How might we best articulate the integration of Design Thinking, Agile and DevOps?
THE DISCOVERY
All three practices are ways of working. But IBMers were confused with which to use where, when and how — especially since they each shared overlapping principles. For some, this lack of understanding and perceived redundancy stood in the way of adopting the human-centered ways of Design Thinking.
THE APPROACH
Interviewed folks who were confused about the integration, as well as those who had complete clarity — in addition to respected experts from all three practices. Prototyped and iterated on how the three practices work together, and also how to easily explain this integration to those most confused.
THE OUTCOME
A now widely used POV on how Enterprise Design Thinking, Agile and DevOps come together to drive the most compelling outcomes. Specifically, the role and intent of each, how they work together, an action plan template to operationalize all three, and a simple, colloquial way to articulate the integration to others:
Enterprise Design Thinking helps us figure out what to do, Agile helps us realize how to do it, DevOps provides the latest feedback to help us adjust what we do and rapidly implement what we achieve.
GENERALLY, I'M A NOMAD
I often lead — and welcome with open arms — complicated global challenges. My default nomadic way of life, spending every quarter in a new city, uniquely equips me to take on the travel demands and lengthy remote spells usually required.
A BIT MORE ABOUT ME
MY PATH SO FAR
Director, Experience Design
Rocket Central
2022–2023
Rocket Central
2022–2023
VP, Experience Design
Goods & Services
2021–2022
Global Design Strategist
and Enterprise Design Thinking Leader
IBM
2016–2021
Creative Director
Multiple Advertising Agencies
2012–2016
Copywriter
Multiple Advertising Agencies
2005–2012
MY CLIENT PARTNERS
Consumer
2K Games
Best Buy
The Kraft Heinz Company
Wawa
2K Games
Best Buy
The Kraft Heinz Company
Wawa
Education
Pearson
Regent University
Texas School for the Deaf
Finance
Chubb
PayPal
PNC Bank
Raymond James
Healthcare
Aetna
Florida Hospital
Oil & Gas
BP
Shell
Tech
AMD
Dell
Microsoft
Teradata
Telecom
AT&T
Cablevision
Telstra
Verizon
Travel
American Airlines
Etihad Airways
La Quinta
Southwest Airlines
Among others