Hello! Allow me to introduce myself, in case we haven't already met.
Dani Chesson, PhD
Curiously nerdy problem solver
At my core, I am obsessed with problem-solving. I found design in my early twenties and fell in love. Design helped me to understand what I was meant to do in the world and gave me focus and purpose.
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Shortly into my career as a Graphic Designer, I was recruited by a global bank. What was meant to be a three-month gig turned into a 13-year career, where I had the privilege of leading some pretty exciting technology and regulatory transformations.
I’ve always been fascinated with solving problems, and during my time in transformational work, I became increasingly frustrated with the stagnation that organizations were facing. This frustration eventually led to my PhD work and a ten-year journey to find a better way forward to help organizations move beyond stagnation.
In 2022, I made the leap from corporate to start the Design Thinker Institute. These days I leverage the learnings from my research and my corporate experience to help leaders unstick their organizations.
A chronic sufferer of wanderlust, proud human to three awesome dachshunds, a foodie, a wine enthusiast, an avid exerciser, with a love of music and binge watching tv, a serial book worm...a New Yorker living in New Zealand constantly at awe by its natural beauty.
Have a scroll to learn more about me...connect with me on social media. I’m always up for a coffee whether in-person or virtual so let's connect.
The Official Bio
Dani Chesson, PhD
Design Thinker | Behavioral & Organizational Scientist
Dr Dani Chesson is a multi-disciplinary practitioner who leverages human-centered design, behavioral science, and organizational development to help organizations get unstuck and drive impactful outcomes. She has worked with organizations in the USA, Australia, and NZ. Dani is also an adjunct faculty member at Denver University and Antioch University. Dani’s work focuses on helping HR, Operational, and Tech leaders unstick their organizations to make stuff happen.
Founder & Managing Director – Design Thinker Institute
April 2023 - Present
Helping leaders transform impossible challenges.
Adjunct Faculty – Organizational Development, Denver University
January 2020 - Present
Lecturer in Master of Organizational Science.
Affiliate Faculty – Research Methodology, Antioch University
Sept 2018 - Present
Quantitative research methods lecturer and advisor.
Organization Development Lead – ASB Bank
March 2021 - April 2022
Optimizing end-to-end people experience.
Change Lead (contract) – IAG NZ
Feb 2020 - March 2021
Supporting leaders through structural transformation.
Change Lead (contract), BNZ
Aug 2019 - Jan 2022
Regulatory change adoption.
Snr. Change Manager (contract), Westpac NZ
Oct 2018 - July 2019
Optimized experience for customers in financial hardship.
VP, Small Business Strategy & Change, Bank of America
April 2014 - Feb 2017
Improving lending experience for small business customers.
AVP, Regulatory Change, Bank of America
Sept 2011 - April 2014
Implemented regulatory change following the GFC.
Management Consultant, NTT Data Services, 2009-2011
Oct 2019 - Sept 2011
Led initiatives to drive customer experience and retention.
A bio can only tell you so much, so here is a little bit more about me
My Story
2002
Discovered Design
After nearly two years of aimlessly wandering, moving from various temporary jobs, and dropping out of university twice, I discovered and fell in love with design.
2005
Completed Design Degree
Completed a design degree in record time. When you know what you want to spend your life doing, you don't waste any time.
2006
Banking & Marriage
Got recruited by a bank to do process design work. I didn't know what that meant, but I was too curious to say no, plus it was only meant to be a three-month project. And the marriage skeptic (me) got married.
2010
MBA with a Side of New Zealand
That three-month contract…four years later, still in banking, but now I was leading change. Started an MBA program. Hubby and I visit New Zealand and fall in love with it, start plotting our move across the world.
2012
Mr & Mrs MBA
Hubby and I graduated with our MBA (yep, same program, same time). Study experiences in South Africa, Singapore, and China. Made some awesome friends!
2013
Started the PhD Journey
After several years of leading large-scale organizational change, I was frustrated. Surely there had to be a better way and I was on a mission to find it.
2015
Let'd Not Keep It Simple
Two years of doctoral research led to a gap in the research, how might we use design thinking capabilities to do change better? But, I had to go back a step and complete another Master's degree to continue on.
2017
Became a Dr and Moved to NZ
Finished the master's work and received approval to start my dissertation in 2016. Quit my corporate job and moved to New Zealand while doing my research.
2018
Post-Doc Life
What do you get when you add a newly minted PhD in a foreign country, with no network, and no big, audacious goal? A sobbing mess trying to figure it all out.
2019
Finding My Footing
I didn’t know what to do next, so I went back to what I knew, banking and leading change. This gave me an opportunity to gain local experience, meet people, and test out some of my research findings.
Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me!
2020
And Then The Pandemic
Just when life for us was starting to settle in New Zealand, COVID-19 arrived. Published my third article.
2022
Break-Up, The Institute & Podcast
Coming out of the pandemic, I decided it was time to dream bigger. So, I broke up with the corporate life, established the institute and launched a podcast.
I welcome the opportunity to get to know you.