Kristen Iboi
Senior design leadership for digital systems and experiences.
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Leadership

Leadership

 

Philosophy & Impact

I believe great design leadership is about creating the conditions for people, products, and organizations to thrive. My approach combines systems thinking, strategic leadership, and cross-functional collaboration to bring clarity to complexity, align teams around a shared vision, and drive meaningful business and customer outcomes.

Throughout my career, I have operated at the intersection of design, product, engineering, and business, helping organizations scale design maturity, establish effective operating models, and deliver experiences that are accessible, intuitive, and built to endure. Whether leading enterprise design systems, digital platforms, or organizational transformation initiatives, I focus on creating alignment, enabling teams, and turning ambiguity into action.

 
 
 
 

Vision & Organizational Leadership

Driving alignment across teams, functions, and business priorities.

BMO

  • Provided consultative design leadership across 15+ lines of business, aligning Design, Product, Engineering, Brand, and business stakeholders around shared vision, priorities, and delivery models.

  • Defined design system vision, principles, governance, and operating models that enabled scalable decision-making and cross-functional alignment.

  • Established design quality, contribution, and review processes that improved consistency and reduced friction across teams.

Metrolinx / GO Transit / PRESTO

  • Translated complex business, customer, and operational requirements into clear digital strategies supporting large-scale public platforms.

  • Facilitated alignment across cross-functional teams, vendors, and stakeholders to deliver cohesive customer experiences.

Consulting & Advisory

  • Served as a strategic advisor to founders, product leaders, and creative teams, helping shape digital strategy, brand direction, accessibility initiatives, and customer experience improvements.

 
 
 
 

Product Design & Platform Strategy

Scaling experiences, systems, and capabilities across complex ecosystems.

BMO

  • Led the evolution of the Abacus Design System supporting 15+ lines of business and millions of customer interactions.

  • Directed a digital brand refresh across shared system components and platform foundations.

  • Introduced accessibility-first colour systems, design tokens, variables, and scalable design foundations future-proofed for dark mode and emerging platform needs.

  • Launched Common and sub-library ecosystems supported by comprehensive Zeroheight documentation and governance models.

  • Partnered closely with Product and Engineering leaders to align user experience strategy with business objectives and technical execution.

PRESTO

  • Led the introduction of PRESTO's design system to improve consistency, usability, and scalability across digital touchpoints.

  • Drove improvements to information architecture and navigation, enabling a more intuitive experience while supporting future platform growth.

Intuit

  • Supported end-to-end experience delivery for TurboTax while contributing to operational improvements that enhanced team effectiveness and delivery predictability.

 
 
 
 

Design Systems & Operational Excellence

Building the foundations that enable teams to deliver consistently and efficiently.

BMO

  • Established design QA processes to improve implementation quality, consistency, and design-to-development alignment.

  • Developed contribution models, ambassador programs, and enablement initiatives to drive design system adoption and shared ownership.

  • Led CMS migration planning, design system integration, and Figma library architecture to support scalable content operations.

  • Created internal communications and education programs, including a quarterly design systems newsletter and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Metrolinx

  • Supported Agile delivery practices across responsive redesign initiatives while improving collaboration between design, development, and business teams.

 
 
 
 

Team Development & Design Maturity

Growing people, strengthening practice, and elevating organizational capability.

  • Mentored designers and design technologists across multiple levels of experience.

  • Fostered strong partnerships between Design, Product, Engineering, Content, and Research teams.

  • Established frameworks, governance models, and best practices that improved design quality and team effectiveness.

  • Created opportunities for learning, contribution, and leadership through ambassador programs, office hours, peer reviews, and community-building initiatives.

  • Promoted a culture of accessibility, continuous improvement, experimentation, and customer-centered thinking.

 
 
 
 

Advisory, Brand & Consulting Leadership

Extending design leadership beyond enterprise environments.

  • CMOMO Official — Production, music, merchandise platform, and brand transformation

  • Alpha Zone — Brand identity and digital experience design

  • Stride Health Services — Brand, service, and web platform redesign

  • Xtiin Jones Music — Brand development, digital presence, and campaign strategy

  • William Michael Forbes — Digital promotion and accessibility evaluation

  • Seed Sustainable Investments — Accessibility and heuristic evaluation

  • STEEL — Brand system development, concept design, and digital experience creation

 
 
 

© Kristen Iboi 2026