Russ Wilson is a globally recognised design and technology leader, currently serving as Chief of Design at Fidelity Investments, where he drives design strategy across AI, fintech and enterprise innovation. With executive leadership roles at IBM, Microsoft, Google, and Fidelity, Russ has spent his career at the intersection of design, engineering and AI, turning breakthrough ideas into market-defining products used by millions.
As co-creator of Microsoft Power BI, he helped build one of the most successful analytics platforms in the world, now used by 97% of Fortune 500 companies. His leadership has scaled global design organisations, pioneered AI-driven product transformation and delivered measurable impact in user experience, revenue growth and enterprise efficiency.
Upcoming Talks
13 May 2026
When design and product teams clash, great ideas stall. Russ Wilson tackled this by co-creating Fidelity’s “Digital Athlete” program with Harvard training product managers to prioritize value, think like storytellers, and collaborate deeply with design.
This talk explores how design leadership can elevate product maturity, reshape team culture, and align massive organizations around customer value.
Challenges:
- Misaligned incentives between design and product
- Product managers focused on output over value
- Embedding learning and experimentation at scale
Key Learnings:
- How to bridge design and product mindsets through shared language and metrics
- Techniques for training product managers in customer-first storytelling
- Why design’s future lies in shaping the product discipline, not just the product