Product Design Leader
Julie
Fortier
20+ years building design teams & solving complex problems
in regulated industries
Product Design Leader
20+ years building design teams & solving complex problems
in regulated industries
About
A product design leadership role leading a focused, high-performing design team. My expertise centers on complex platforms used by professionals in regulated or operationally demanding industries such as healthcare and financial services.
I thrive in roles where I stay closely engaged with the product, helping shape solutions and design direction while guiding strategy, operating models, and the thoughtful integration of AI alongside product and engineering leaders. I prioritize strong team connection and value collaboration in a remote or hybrid environment.
Expertise
My expertise spans design strategy, enterprise platforms, emerging technologies, and design organization leadership. This combination allows me to guide product decisions, strengthen design teams, and help organizations deliver complex software with greater clarity, efficiency, and impact.
Product design · Service design · Experience architecture · Design systems · Generative and evaluative research
Enterprise software · Workflow optimization · Platform modernization · Accessibility compliance · Clinical systems · Wealth management platforms
Generative AI product integration · AI-augmented SDLC · AI in healthcare
Design organization building · Talent development & mentorship · Performance & career frameworks · Design operations · Cross-functional partnership
KPI definition · Roadmap development · Workshop facilitation · Executive stakeholder alignment · Experience requirements · Service blueprinting
Cross-Disciplinary Leadership
As AI transforms how software is designed and built, the boundaries between design, product, and engineering are increasingly blurred. I lead at this intersection, combining systems thinking, business strategy, and technical curiosity to guide decisions and architect products within new delivery models.
Read Julie's POV on AI-Augmented SDLC ↗Leadership Philosophy
I build design teams grounded in trust, accountability, and empathy. Designers are encouraged to experiment, grow in their craft, and adopt new ways of working. I focus on creating an environment where designers feel supported, challenged, and proud of the impact their work delivers.
I forge strong partnerships with product, engineering, and operational leaders, sharing ownership of problems and solutions. I believe design quality and delivery speed reinforce each other through clear collaboration models. Defining processes to accelerate teams while maintaining high design excellence is central to my leadership.
I lead with pragmatism and persistence. I help leaders connect experience quality to product success, user trust, and long-term business outcomes. My goal is to bring clarity to complex decisions and guide teams toward solutions that are both practical and impactful.
Portfolio
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