Gordon Ching
I’m Gordon Ching, Founder & CEO, Design Executive Council, the premier membership network for corporate design executives. Our membership network counts some of the world’s most successful and iconic brands, including Fortune 500 brands and billion dollar venture-backed startups. I conduct and write research that drives the frontiers of corporate design organizations and design leadership practices forward.
I enable companies to harness the full potential of design leadership to create profitable, competitive, and differentiated businesses. I believe that one of the most underutilized levers for business transformation lies in how companies structure, enable, and unleash the capabilities of their design leader. From the role of the VP Design, Chief Design Officer, to Board Member, design leaders bring unprecedented value to business and society. To achieve this reality, I currently lead the premier membership organization for corporate design executives dedicated to the advancement of strategic design leadership to the highest levels of business and society.
Advising
I provide Design Executive Council members strategic input on a range of executive topics derived from my unprecedented access and understanding of corporate design leadership. Here are some examples of topics I frequently cover with members.
Strategic Design Leadership
Role of the Chief Design Officer
Design Executive Trends
Design Organization Effectiveness
Design Executive Management and Operations
Design Executive Roles & Compensation
Speaking
I am best known as an engaging, articulate, and insightful speaker who brings relevant and thought-provoking insights to any audience, ranging from students to executives. I have spoken in front of international audiences as large 1000, to focused executive workshops.
Annual State of Corporate Design Leadership
The Four Levels of Strategic Design Leadership
Cross-Functional Applications of Design
History and Future of Design Management
Demystifying the Chief Design Officer role
Design Executives 101
Biography
Founder & CEO,
Design Executive Council
Gordon Ching is the Founder & CEO of Design Executive Council (DXC), the premier membership network dedicated to advancing strategic design leadership to the highest levels of business and society.
DXC has carved a niche in raising the strategic competence and profile of design leaders to ascend and succeed in strategic roles, including Vice Presidents of Design, Chief Design Officers, and Board Members. Launched in 2022, DXC provides design executives a true peer to peer network and access to distinct programs, events, and research that advances their leadership performance, market value, and the business value of design. DXC membership counts global public corporations and venture-backed enterprises, including senior design executives from industry giants like Adobe, Capital One, Cisco, JPMorgan Chase, SAP, SEPHORA, Target, Warner Music Group, and more.
Before his vision materialized with DXC, Gordon honed his expertise across design leadership, operations, and marketing at global brands and startups, including Apple, Affirm, Synchrony, Fast, and AIESEC International. His academic journey took him to Savannah College of Art and Design, where he secured a Master's in Design Management. There, his groundbreaking thesis on Chief Design Officers and Design Executive Effectiveness set the tone for his future endeavors and now serves as the basis of DXC. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography from Simon Fraser University.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Gordon now brings his passion, expertise, and vision to San Francisco, driving DXC's commitment to magnifying the impact of design leadership on a global scale.
