Open to opportunities

Paul Stonick

@paulstonick

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Senior executive design and product leader with 25+ years tra-digital experience.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I am looking for a role that values innovation, fosters collaboration, and offers opportunities for strategic leadership in design and product development.

Paul is a seasoned creative executive and leader who turns strategy, design, and emerging tech into business results. With 25+ years at the crossroads of creativity and commerce, he’s helped Fortune 500s transform at scale, led a high-growth automotive startup to a successful exit, and pioneered early moves in e-commerce before it was mainstream.

At The Home Depot, Paul played a key role in modernizing the "phy-gital" customer experience and scaling digital innovation—work that fueled $3B+ of incremental revenue and earned industry recognition for the #1 mobile app in retail. As a Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner, he’s led design and product orgs through change and complexity, always with a bias for clarity, creativity, and outcomes over noise.

Paul’s current edge is helping teams harness AI not as a threat to creativity, but as a companion species. He upskills teams in AI fluency and prompt literacy while reinforcing the irreplaceable human spark behind the work.

You’ve probably seen his work on national TV, Apple’s WWDC stage, or even during Super Bowl 58. Trusted by brands like Forrester, L2 Gartner, and global orgs, Paul is a speaker, coach, and advisor who helps people and companies lead what’s next, with confidence, culture, and craft.

Paul also coaches and mentors the next generation of design leaders in his work with Amazing Design People (adplist.org). ADPList inspires powerful conversations and collaborations among designers worldwide so together we can change the world with creativity.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Founder & Chief Problem Solver

Current

KICK Consultancy, LLC

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 6 months)

Activated transformation for clients like UPS, Lowe’s, Georgia Tech, and Knoetic by designing bold team interventions, coaching programs, workshops and creative strategy sprints. Delivered ‘The We Collective’ for Hill Eco Inc., a platform and safe space that empowers communities to engage in public discourse, co-creation and sustainable social impact.

Human Centered Design Creative Strategy Coaching Fractional CxO Leadership

Vice President, SCADpro

Savannah College of Art & Design

Jan 2022 - Present (3 years 6 months)

Led SCADpro, the university’s innovation agency, delivering design solutions for global brands. Achieved record revenue and 27% project growth in FY23–24, with 47% more brand partners.

Innovation Strategy Partnership Development P&L management Product Launch Team Leadership

Vice President, Product Design & Product Management

FAIR (Acquired by Shift)

Jan 2021 - Present (4 years 6 months)

Directed company-wide product vision and design strategy for an e-commerce automotive marketplace, enabling Shift’s “Amazon of used cars” launch post-acquisition. Scaled and led a multidisciplinary team to deliver a responsive end-to-end marketplace with integrated ﬁnancing.

Product Vision Design Strategy Scaling Teams Design Thinking

Director, Online User Experience

The Home Depot

Jan 2017 - Present (8 years 6 months)

Led UX strategy for 50+ designers, researchers and content strategists, delivered $3B+ in incremental revenue through optimized omnichannel experiences. Ranked as Forrester’s #1 Mobile App in Retail (2019) with AR, voice chat, and image search features.

UX Strategy Mobile App Development Design Thinking Budget Management

VP Creative & Global Head of User Experience

Barclays

Jan 2016 - Present (9 years 6 months)

Led creative direction and global user experience initiatives for the company. Managed and mentored design teams to deliver innovative digital solutions.

Creative Direction Global UX Digital Solutions Team Leadership Financial Services

Senior Director Design & User Experience

Dressbarn

Jan 2014 - Present (11 years 6 months)

Directed design and user experience strategies to enhance customer engagement and online presence. Implemented new design processes that improved user satisfaction.

Design Strategy User Experience Customer Engagement Online Presence Retail

Senior Director, Digital

Viacom

Jan 2013 - Present (12 years 6 months)

Managed digital initiatives and projects, ensuring alignment with company goals and brand identity. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver engaging digital content.

Brand Identity Cross Functional Collaboration Media

Creative Director, Online

Avon

Jan 2009 - Present (16 years 6 months)

Provided creative direction for online platforms, overseeing the visual and interactive design of digital products. Led a team of designers to execute online marketing campaigns.

Creative Direction Visual Design Interactive Design Digital Marketing

Senior Online Art Director

Bloomingdale’s

Jan 2003 - Present (22 years 6 months)

Served as Senior Online Art Director, responsible for the artistic direction of online visual content. Ensured brand consistency and high-quality design across all digital channels.

Art Direction Online Visual Content Brand Consistency

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Drew University

BA, Art History

Studied Art History at Drew University, focusing on the historical and theoretical aspects of art. Gained a comprehensive understanding of various art movements and their cultural contexts.