SéBASTIEN SIMPSON
AI-enabled Program management.
digital product development and delivery.
UX, design operations and strategy leadership.
YOU HAVE A NEED FOR FRACTIONAL OR FULLTIME LEADERSHIP? LET’S TALK.
“I had the pleasure of collaborating with Sébastien during his tenure at L’Oréal USA, and I can confidently say that he is an exceptional leader in his domain.”
20 years of experience leading complex digital programs at the intersection of design, product and technology - bringing clarity, momentum, and delivery excellence for global brands.
“At Code and Theory, Sébastien brought strong design operations expertise as an Executive Producer. He consistently brought operational clarity to complex digital initiatives, building reliable delivery frameworks and translating requirements into well-executed deliverables.”
WHAT I DO
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AI-enabled Program Management.
I lead large projects and coordinate and oversee groups of related projects that support an organization's goals and objectives. I manage (often distributed) cross-functional teams spanning from marketing, strategy, UX, UI, and technology.
How I use AI in program delivery
I use AI to reduce noise and increase signal across delivery: faster synthesis, clearer decisions, earlier risk detection, and better stakeholder alignment — while keeping humans accountable for judgment and outcomes. -
Digital Product Design & Delivery.
I deliver digital products, intersecting strategic product vision grounded in quanti and quali insights, project/program management and operational and technology acumen.
I own the end-to-end project and product lifecycle, from strategy, to design and technology development.
I am versed into both waterfall and agile/scrum methodologies.
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Design Operations Leadership.
I create space for creativity: I engineer process, and facilitate cross-functional collaboration at-scale to make the day-to-day simple and efficient. I build frameworks + methodologies that streamline and define the cadence of business.
I work with UX designers, UI designers, experience strategists, content designers/strategists, UX researchers.
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Client Advisory and New Business.
My agency background taught me to build lasting ties with clients, and act as a partner and a trusted advisor in their initiatives.
I lead new business opportunities, along with agency cross-functional teams.
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Change Management & Strategy.
I diagnose complex issues and operational roadblocks, introducing effective outcomes through exhaustive discovery, audits, and solutions architecture.
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Partnerships, Culture & Communications.
As a cross-functional partner + collaboration leader, I take care to foster confidence and form relationships that are built on communication and mutual trust.
I value curiosity, kindness, diversity, and ingenuity.
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Feedback & Learning Loops.
I put an emphasis on measurement and evaluation within the product life cycle, with feedback loops that foster clarity, quantify impact, and identify risks before they ignite.
portfolio
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L’Oréal | Maybelline
Scope: global
Keywords: #eCommerce, #CPG, #beauty, #UX, #design, #technology
At L’Oréal, I was responsible for global strategy, design, development, deployment of Maybelline’s digital properties (eCommerce, mobile applications, in-store digital experience).
Results: unique visits: +120%, engagement rate: +50% in 6 months (global average).
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Wells Fargo
Scope: USA
Keywords: #web, #PaymentApplications, #banking #accessibility #UX #design
Leading UX and Design Program Management for the full payment applications portfolio (web, mobile).
Results: digital products implementation velocity: +35% in 6 months.
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Land Rover USA
Scope: USA
Keywords: #web, #automotive, #CRM, #digitalmarketing
Leading OLM, CRM program and website design and production for Land Rover USA.
Results: +80% unique visits; + 50% handraisers in 1 year.
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Japan Tobacco International | Nordic Spirit
Scope: Europe
Keywords: #web, #eCommerce, #UX, #design, #technology
Leading strategy, UX, design, development and deployment of the global instance of the website; overseeing localization in European countries.
Results: speed to market | 4 months turnaround.
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L’Oréal | Armani Beauty USA
Scope: USA
Keywords: #web, #eCommerce, #luxury, #beauty, #UX, #design, #technology
Leading UX, Design, Development and Deployment project management for the US instance of the eCommerce website.
Results: +50% unique visits within 6 months of launch.
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Philip morris international | IQOS
Scope: global
Keywords: #web, #retail, #digital, #experience design, #service design, #UX
Leading programs intersecting digital and physical retail initiatives, I led design and implementation of the full offline/online ecosystem for Iqos, the top Reduced Risk Product for PMI.
Results: business x3 in less than a year.
Digital products implementation velocity: +25%.
Creation and rollout of new stores in Europe and Asia, including the new visual identity and digital touch screens growing sales by 30% at the POS.
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LVMH | Fendi
Scope: global
Keywords: #web, #eCommerce, #luxury, #beauty, #UX, #design, #technology
Leading UX, Design, Development and Deployment project management for the global instance of the eCommerce website.
Results: +75% unique visits within 6 months of launch.
PORTFOLIO - CONTINUeD
Short list of other brands I led design, digital and/or marketing programs for.
Scope: US programs and/or Europe programs and/or global programs.
Agencies: Fuseproject, Buzz Brothers, Razorfish, Wunderman, Young&Rubicam, Code and Theory, AKQA, BBDO, Leo Burnett.
testimonials
“Super strong program manager, deeply passionate about design, tech and digital overall. I'd be happy to collaborate with him again.”
— Pierre Kremer, Business Transformation & Technology Leader, Sr. Client Partner at Globant
"I had the pleasure of collaborating with Sébastien during his tenure at L'Oréal USA, and I can confidently say that he is an exceptional leader in his domain. Sébastien brings a wealth of experience in digital, marketing, product design, and technology, which has been invaluable to our projects. I look forward to the opportunity to work with Sébastien again, as his contributions are truly outstanding."
— Pritesh Davda, Chief Information Officer, L'Oréal USA
"Sébastien brings together business, design, and technology; he's a translator between disciplines. With him on board, you know you're going to deliver a top-notch product!"
— Greg Whitescarver, CTO, Revaire; previously Group Director, Technology at Huge
“Sébastien has been instrumental in driving the design, development and deployment of the global digital ecosystem for Maybelline New York, in a complex and ambiguous environment. He's a great partner, very knowledgable and overall a nice person!"
— Emmanuel Miran, Global Chief Technology Officer, Wella Company
“I've had the pleasure of seeing Sébastien in action as a senior program director in product design and development, and I can say with confidence—he knows his craft. With a strong international background and experience at top agencies, he’s worked with some of the most recognizable brands out there, delivering work that’s both strategic and impactful.
What sets Sébastien apart isn’t just his expertise, but how he leads. He brings teams together, keeps projects moving, and always finds solutions that blend creativity with business goals. He’s the kind of person you can trust to get things done—and done well.
I highly recommend him for any team looking for a strong, experienced leader in design and development.”
— Rahul Sabnis, President, Chief Creative Officer, iHeart Media
"Sébastien has an exceptional ability to navigate between high-level strategy and the finer details with ease. He remains composed in challenging situations and infuses a sense of enjoyment into any team he joins. His humility is impressive and not often seen in others."
— Jon Karlin, Delivery Lead, Work & Co / Accenture Interactive
“It was a pleasure working with Sébastien during our time at Code and Theory, where he served as an Executive Producer with solid design operations expertise. His ability to manage complex digital initiatives made him a reliable partner in delivering solutions for major institutions including Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Cartier. What makes Sébastien effective is his practical approach to bringing operational clarity to complex environments. His understanding of design workflows and production processes enables him to build reliable delivery frameworks. Teams value his ability to streamline their operations while maintaining focus on business objectives. Throughout our collaboration on retail innovation projects, digital platform developments, and new business initiatives, Sébastien consistently translated complex requirements into well-executed deliverables. He brings the pragmatic operational leadership that modern digital initiatives need.”
— Matthieu Mingasson, Head Of Design Transformation, Code and Theory
"Sébastien and I worked together twice in the past, first at an independent digital agency and then at a large multinational holding company. He was an excellent project manager, consistently organizing internal and external stakeholders to deliver award winning projects on time and budget. He's been steeped in digital excellence since then, working at some of the best digital agencies in the world, across the world, and digitizing some of the world's best brands. I'm proud to call him a friend personally, and delighted to recommend him professionally."
— David Cherry, EVP Director of Customer Experience, Biolumina, Omnicom
ABOUT ME
With over 20 years of experience in digital product development and design operations leadership, I've helped organizations across industries transform their digital presence and operational capabilities.
I've worked with Fortune 500 companies and leading agencies, consistently delivering measurable results while fostering collaborative team environments.
Who I worked for/with:
Bounteous
Buzz Brothers
AKQA
Code and Theory
Wells Fargo
Fuseproject
Razorfish
Young&Rubicam
L'Oréal
Wunderman
Leo Burnett
BBDO
Mini Bio:
Born and raised in Paris, France.
Education: Ecole Alsacienne for most of my childhood and teen years. Focus on mathematics at Lycée Louis-Le-Grand, then Masters in Business and Economics at Omnes. Finally, post-graduate degree in web design and technology, project management at Gobelins, l’Ecole de l’Image.
After Paris, living in New York, then San Francisco, Geneva, and most recently Denver, CO.
Dual French + US citizenship.
Fluent French and English.