Design Innovation In Large Organisations

Speaker 01:

PERNILLA Johansson

Head of UX & Service Design, VOLVO Group, formerly Chief Design Officer, Electrolux. Pernilla is currently based in Sweden. She has spent 16 years in Singapore in leadership roles in Philips and Electrolux

"Design is a force for change. As our world expands in scale and complexity, design evolves with it—demanding alignment across teams, systems, and cultures to deliver meaningful, sustainable impact."

Pernilla will talk about how design can be integrated more effectively within organizations — not just as a craft or output, but as a strategic capability.

She will talk about the challenges of cross-functional collaboration, the importance of shared language, and how creative leadership and systemic thinking can help design thrive and drive real, sustainable impact.

Can design heritage be a baggage?

She will also share her thoughts on how the design heritage in Sweden is holding it back and how countries like Singapore can leapfrog the approach without baggage.

Speaker 02

LEONARD Bahroocha

Head of Product Innovation, SEAO, Singapore, Samsung Electronics

“Design isn't just about delivering solutions — it's about shaping how we think, collaborate, and innovate. “

Design, while often starts with form and function, evolves into something much more powerful: a way to drive strategy, shape experiences, and even influence the culture of creative thinking and innovation.Leonard will be sharing the story behind a few projects over the years, the way nature of projects has changed, and his learnings along the way.

He will also talk about some of the real-life challenges of working with different collaborators and stakeholders.

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More about Pernilla

Pernilla Johansson is heading up UX & Service Design at Volvo Group Digital & IT, bringing 30 years of global design leadership. With a background at Philips, Electrolux, and as co-founder of the Centre for Organisational Creativity, she champions user-centered, insight-driven design.

Pernilla has lived and worked across four continents and holds a Master’s in Industrial Design from Sweden.

More about Leonard

Leonard Tan Bahroocha is currently the Head of the Product Innovation Team at Samsung Electronics SEAO.

With prior roles at Creative Technology, Philips, Dell, and Electrolux, he has led end-to-end product launches.

At Samsung, he drives initiatives that align design research with consumer needs, product strategies, and business goals, delivering innovation for both regional and global stakeholders.