robertoseif.com

I work with successful +40 y/o middle managers, who want to take their career in a new direction, but don't know what that looks like or how to pull it off. I help them find their unique marketable sweet spot,  and relaunch their careers -- either within the same organization or somewhere else.

Chief Career Transformationist

Seif Family

On career sabbatical to focus on family and self-growth

Strategic Innovation Lead (Architecture Practice)

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Senior Manager Global Brands -- Hyatt Centric

Horizon2, Inc - Innovation Consulting

President / Founder

John Morrell Food Group

Director of Innovation

Doblin Group

Innovation Consultant

Unilever

Manager of Innovation NA

Price Waterhouse Coopers

Tax Consultant

Even the most successful professionals feel stuck at some point.

I help high-achievers in their 40s who want to relaunch their careers and are trying to find a marketable sweet spot for their unique skills and gifts.

These include corporate middle managers who:

- Lost their motivation and are stuck in a prolonged soul search. 
- Have a hard time summoning the confidence to make a career pivot. 
- Possess a unique combination of skills that don't fit within existing job titles.
- Try to find their place as they re-enter the workforce after an extended professional absence (e.g. full-time parents, caregivers, sabbaticals)

Think of me as a personal strategist who can help you regain clarity, direction, and courage to reinvent your career. 

I'm different from your typical career coach because I don't come from the HR pool. 

The traditional HR-minded approach focuses on HOW to land a job (e.g. optimize resume and pitch and interviewing skills). But this approach is useless if you are trying to figure out WHAT job to land. 

I spent 20 years launching new products and brands, Along the way, I reinvented my own career 9 times.

I know how it feels to be stuck in a long mid-career limbo, sifting through hundreds of jobs online in search of an answer and feeling like nothing fits. I've experienced the same anxiety, frustration, and self-doubt you may be experiencing right now.

I know how to get out of that ditch. 

Combining tools from innovation strategy, psychology, and coaching I’ll help you solve for "what to become" (e.g. craft your vision, find your sweet spot, develop systems and habits, challenge beliefs, etc), so you can relaunch the second half of your career.

Roberto Seif

Antonio García

Gensler

I help organizations figure out what they actually need, not just what they think they want. My work spans innovation consulting, organizational design, and workplace transformation—but really, I'm in the business of cutting through the noise to find what matters.

I spend my days having honest conversations with clients about their challenges, then building frameworks that actually work in the real world. No fluff, no buzzwords—just practical solutions that make sense for their specific situation. I've learned that the best strategy work happens when you can translate big ideas into steps people can actually take.

Leading multidisciplinary teams means I get to work with brilliant people who see problems differently than I do. I guide research and creative development, but more importantly, I create space for good ideas to emerge and grow. Quality comes from the team, not from micromanaging every detail.

I work closely with our design studios because strategy without implementation is just expensive advice. The real satisfaction comes from seeing ideas become spaces and experiences that actually improve how people work and connect.

Client relationships are built on trust, and trust comes from delivering what you promise. I've found that being direct about challenges and realistic about timelines creates stronger partnerships than overselling ever could. When clients know you'll tell them the truth, they listen when you have something important to say.

I also contribute to industry conversations through speaking and writing—not because I have to, but because I genuinely enjoy sharing what I've learned and learning from others who are wrestling with similar challenges.

My approach is straightforward: stay curious, be honest about what you don't know, and surround yourself with people who challenge your thinking. The work is complex enough without making it complicated.

Strategy Director

Dadwell & Co.

As executive producer and host of The Dadwell Podcast, I explore the intersection of creativity and fatherhood in long-form interview format. I collect and share conversations with artist/maker/designer dads about their work-life blend and how they're working to redefine the expectations and norms of
parenting, partnering, providing, and creative purpose.

Founder & Host

As TXI's first Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer, my role was centered on integrating innovative thinking and calculated risk-taking into our organizational strategy. I identified emerging trends and opportunities in the digital product space, leveraging them for competitive advantage. My responsibilities included conceptualizing and delivering new market offerings, engaging as a thought leader, and inspiring clients to push creative boundaries. I also empowered our teams to experiment with new methods, continuously evolve, and navigate change with agility.

Highlights:

» Drove strategic innovation: I embedded innovative thinking into our organizational strategy, identifying and leveraging trends to maintain our competitive edge and market leadership.

» Shaped thought leadership: Engaging as a recognized industry leader, I crafted narratives that influenced and inspired, challenging conventions and fostering a culture of relentless creativity and strategic growth.

» Empowered teams to excel: By promoting a culture of experimentation and calculated risk, I supported our teams in evolving their capabilities and driving continuous improvement.

Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer 

As TXI's Head of Design, I split time between defining our design vision and strategy, project leadership, team mentorship, sharing our perspective with the broader community, and supporting our growth and evolution as a studio. As a partner and advisor to our clients and a resource for my colleagues, I collaborated across disciplines—identifying the right thing to design and ensuring it was designed right.

Highlights:

» Balanced vision with execution: I refined the art of translating visionary design strategies into practical, executable plans that aligned with business goals.

» Mentored with purpose: My approach to mentorship was about empowering teams to navigate growth and change, fostering a resilient and adaptive design culture.

» Collaborated across disciplines: I learned the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration, ensuring that our design solutions were innovative and strategically aligned.

Head of Design

Northwestern University

» Teaching Visual Storytelling: Developed and delivered a graduate seminar on the expansive concept of “story,” introducing students to techniques for crafting, visualizing, and sharing narratives that resonate across both analog and digital media.

» Guiding MBAs in Communication Design: Led an intensive boot camp in communication design fundamentals for Kellogg's MMM program, covering key topics from color and typography to imagery and composition.

Adjunct Lecturer

» Innovating educational content: Produced on-campus podcast media and piloted a new workshop series for the MMM program, focusing on contemporary design challenges and ethical considerations.

» Mentorship and student development: Mentored students, conducted portfolio reviews, and prototyped course content focused on design ethics, contributing to the holistic development of future design leaders.

Designer in Residence at the Segal Design Institute

Rightpoint

As Group Experience Director I played a critical leadership role across the Design & Strategy disciplines at Rightpoint. As a practice lead for UX, I advocated for the user-centered design process and oversaw a growing team of seasoned interaction designers and researchers across our Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit and Los Angeles offices. I partnered closely with the heads of Content Design, Visual Design and Business Design across our national network to define the what, how and why for our Experience Group. Additionally, I partnered with our clients to develop programs and accounts.
 
My responsibilities broadly covered team management and growth, business development, project delivery, and process definition.

Highlights:

» Advocating for user-centered Design: I emphasized the importance of the user’s perspective in every design decision, ensuring our solutions resonated deeply with end-users.

» Scaling design practices: Managing a team across multiple locations taught me how to scale operations effectively while maintaining a consistent vision and high-quality outcomes.

Group Experience Director

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma & Texas

A 90-day consulting engagement to develop and implement a "people and practice" strategy aimed at defining team structure, new roles and industry-standard best practices for DUET—the organization's digital user experience team. Working directly with the team's Executive Director, I led efforts across groups including IT, HR, Executive Leadership and multiple business units. I collaborated with partners including Deloitte, TXI and Fuzzy Math in defining and documenting enterprise-level digital strategy.

Visiting Design Director

Northern Trust Corporation

The Northern Lab is a new group within Northern Trust focused on identifying, incubating, and designing experiences that enhance client and partner interactions through a human-centered process. As a senior leader in the Lab, I helped inform and inspire the expression of the Lab across the enterprise and shape the studio’s portfolio of projects—thinking creatively and strategically to uncover the sweet spot among Northern Trust’s capabilities, the business unit’s strategic priorities, market context, and human insights.

Highlights:

» Aligning design with business strategy: I integrated design thinking with strategic business priorities, creating experiences that delivered both user satisfaction and business success.

» Leading with insight: I played a key role in shaping the studio’s portfolio, ensuring our initiatives were innovative and aligned with long-term business goals.

VP, Portfolio Lead

gravitytank

» Developing social innovation: I contributed to building our social innovation portfolio, applying design thinking to create large-scale impact in education and healthcare.

» Leading with empathy: Mentoring a diverse team enhanced my leadership skills, enabling me to align individual growth with broader strategic objectives.

» Driving business development: I strategically identified and pursued business opportunities, aligning them with our goals to drive growth and strengthen client relationships.

Associate Partner

» Enhancing user experience design: I focused on creating compelling user experiences, balancing creativity with user needs to deliver impactful solutions.

» Building team strength: Leading and mentoring a growing team allowed me to cultivate a robust and resilient design practice, strategically aligned with client needs.

Lead Interaction Designer

» Developing core HCI design skills: This role provided a foundation in interaction design, where I gained experience in research, prototyping, and user interface design to create user-centric solutions.

Associate Interaction Designer

IIT Institute of Design

I co-taught New Product Definition, a graduate seminar offering an in-depth tour of product and service definition, strategy and lean startup methods. Students defined viable products and services, built MVPs to test their most important business hypotheses, and shaped their strategy through market experiments with real customers.

Highlight:

» Translating complex ideas: Teaching advanced design courses helped me distill complex concepts into actionable strategies, enhancing my ability to lead and communicate within diverse teams.

Adjunct Professor

Firebelly Design

» Strategically scaling a design firm: I played a key role in growing the business while maintaining a strong focus on creative integrity and operational efficiency.

» Launching impactful initiatives: Founding initiatives like the Firebelly Foundation demonstrated my ability to align business growth with social impact, driving both financial success and meaningful change.

Director of Strategy

» Crafting visual narratives: I honed my ability to create visual brand stories—communicating complex ideas effectively across print, web, and installations—laying the groundwork for future strategic roles.

Senior Designer

» Foundational design skills: Gained hands-on experience in graphic design and illustration, contributing to various projects that required a keen eye for detail and creative problem-solving.

» Developing creative versatility: Worked across different mediums, from print to web design, learning to adapt my design approach to diverse client needs and project goals.

» Collaborative team environment: Learned the importance of teamwork and collaboration in a fast-paced studio setting, supporting senior designers and contributing to the studio’s creative output.

Graphic Designer

I guide organizations into the future—blending a vision for what's next with the insights to navigate change. Throughout my career, I've learned true impact isn't just about having answers—it's about asking the right questions and understanding the deeper needs of both people and markets.

With over 25 years of experience in digital product, design, strategy, and innovation I've consistently transformed complex challenges into opportunities for growth. My approach is grounded in the belief that design and technology must serve people, never the other way around. This perspective guides me in leading cross-functional teams, mentoring emerging talent, and driving initiatives that resonate deeply with users and stakeholders.

Across industries, I apply design thinking and human-centered methods to create solutions that drive meaningful impact. In every role, my focus has been on blending creativity with insight to develop innovations that balance cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human behavior and culture.

In a world of constant change, I foster environments where teams thrive—adapting with agility and resilience. I'm passionate about creating conditions for continuous learning, where experimentation is encouraged and setbacks are viewed as stepping stones to success.

What drives me is not just anticipating the future, but actively shaping it. I believe in the power of collaboration—working closely with diverse, multi-disciplinary teams to co-create solutions that are simultaneously visionary and pragmatic. Through this collaborative approach, we bridge the gap between what is and what could be—helping organizations navigate today's complexities while preparing for tomorrow's possibilities.

I'm here to partner with those ready to embrace this future, turning challenges into opportunities and bold ideas into tangible results. Let's shape the future with insight, empathy, and a relentless commitment to excellence.

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Roberto Seif

Antonio García

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