Vaughan Broderick

Wiley

Co-Author, Innovation in Action

Helping organisations become future-ready & thrive in constant disruption through field-tested human-centred innovation methods

- Customer insights
- Customer experience design
- Growth strategy
- Service design
- Lean innovation methods
- Workshop design and facilitation
– Human-centred design capability programmes

🔥 Highlighted Testimonials:

"The experience was so positive and impactful for us that we have asked Vaughan back on numerous occasions to assist us with designing services.  His expertise in design thinking coupled with an engaging personal style makes him a valued member of the team that is transforming our organisation." 
- Nick Scott, General Manager, Service Delivery, Brackenridge

"Vaughan facilitated our value proposition workshop as we were at a loss as to how to get started. Vaughan skilfully challenged our thinking through a range of activities and questioning, and we left the workshops feeling a sense of clarity, newfound enthusiasm and collective understanding. We would not hesitate to use Vaughan again in the future.” 
- Sara Luckman, Strategy Manager, NZ Young Farmers

"The group greatly appreciated the interactive nature of the program combined with the opportunity to think and reflect on how the practices and skills developed would benefit the public sector and challenges with which they are grappling. Thanks Vaughan, hopefully we can repeat this next year." 
- Dr. Chris Vas, General Manager Food Innovation Precinct, Western Australia

Founder - Innovation Lab

University of Canterbury

Lecturer - Innovation by Design - July 2023 - Present

- Teaching human-centred design to business masters students.

Guest Coach - Executive MBA March 2023 - Present

- Coaching MBA innovation students

Mentor - Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Mar 2021- Present

- Mentoring student founders to utilise design thinking and lean innovation methods

Impact Lead - Centre for Entrepreneurship - July 2023 - Present

Innovation Lecturer - Executive MBA Coach - Startup Coach

Festival for the Future

Guest innovation workshop facilitator at Aotearoa’s biggest leadership and innovation summit.

Guest Workshop Facilitator

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Authoring training content on Business Models, Value Propositions, Pitching & Storytelling, Strategy and Creative Problem-solving using a design thinking approach

Author - Strategy and Creative Problem-solving

Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury

Helping public sector organisations use design thinking to collaborate, innovate and create more insight driven, human-centric organisations.

+ Design thinking projects
+ Workshop facilitation
+ Design research
+ Prototyping and testing

Design Thinking Coach

Brackenridge Services Ltd

Helping to reimagine, redesign and implement service and system change to meet regulatory requirements, exceed client and stakeholder experiences and outcomes. So far, we have redesigned the assessment and transition process for individual service offerings that have resulted in reduced lead time, improved quality, reduced risk and increased customer experience and outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:
Co-designing service and innovation
Stakeholder engagement and communication
Amplifying the voice of the customer
Change leadership and embedding new ways of working

Change and Innovation Project Manager

Consulting in the social services sector as part of my MBA (and post-graduation), I am leading the digital transformation of Life Storybooks for young people in care. This project requires multi-stakeholder management, the development and maintenance of key relationships across all levels, meeting and surpassing key project deliverables and the development of effective change leadership implementation strategies.

The project necessitated the effective use of design thinking, lean and change leadership methodologies to manage various stages of the project and included the establishment of the additional project supporting elements such as foundation and design principles, organisational structures and development specifications.

Innovation Project Manager

Sabbatical

Taking a year off to travel with my family provided a great opportunity for many amazing experiences together. The most valuable part was how we developed personally and as a family when confronted with challenges and obstacles that required adaptability, problem-solving, teamwork and coping skills.

World Traveler

Broderick Consulting Ltd

Broderick Consulting was in the business of helping clients achieve their financial goals. I founded and grew a successful business serving hundreds of clients throughout New Zealand until a successful sale was executed.

Founder and Adviser 

Innovation coach helping you & your organisation thrive in disruption | Teaching proven practical methods to help people innovate | UC MBA | Follow for posts about startups, innovation & leadership

Innovation shouldn’t feel like pressure without progress.

Yet many leaders I work with are stuck in exactly that space.

They’re expected to move fast—but don’t have time to think.
They’re leading innovation—but unclear whether they’re solving the right problem.
They’ve run strategy sessions and pilots—but can’t make the change stick.

I help leaders and teams slow down where it matters—so they can move faster where it counts.

My work focuses on four key challenges:

Understanding the real problem behind the problem (no more jumping to solutions)
Designing smarter decisions in complexity (move forward with clarity, not chaos)
Aligning teams and stakeholders (so change feels shared, not forced)
Implementing innovation that sticks (not stalls)

I blend psychology, human-centred design, and practical strategy to help people turn insight into action - especially when the stakes are high and the path isn’t obvious.

As an innovation coach, advisor and educator, I’ve supported 225+ teams across business, government, and education to design smarter decisions and lead real change.

I’m known as The Slow Strategist - not because I move slowly, but because I help leaders pause where it matters most. Before assumptions harden. Before decisions get baked in. Before “solution mode” derails the real work.

I’m the co-author of Innovation in Action: Unlock Curiosity, Creativity and Clarity with the DUCTRI Method, and I write a weekly newsletter read by 10,000+ professionals who want to lead with confidence - not chaos.

Earlier in my career, I founded and scaled a financial services business to 2,000+ clients and $500M in assets. Burnout led to a complete reinvention: I sold the company, travelled through 23 countries with my family, completed an Exec MBA, and retrained in human-centred innovation.

That reset equipped me with the real skills leaders need to thrive in a VUCA world: slowing down to think clearly, making human-centred decisions in ambiguity, and turning insight into action.

If you’re:
	•	Leading innovation on a complex challenge
	•	Building something new from scratch
	•	Or stuck trying to make change stick

…here’s how I can help:

1. Read by 10,000+ smart professionals each week
-> https://vaughanbroderick.com/newsletter/

2. Join 275+ smart innovators on the Innovation in Action book waitlist:
-> https://vaughanbroderick.com/the-ductri-playbook/

3. Workshops | Consulting | Speaking | Innovation Training
-> Let’s have a conversation: DM me

Research Associate

Co-authoring academic research papers on innovation and design thinking.

Vaughan Broderick 🦆🌳

Dennis Geelen

Coaching and mentoring to help you start and scale your one-person business.

Founder

Zero In

The mission of Zero In is to help as many businesses and leaders build a brand customers love and a company people are passionate to work for.  

So where do you need to focus (or Zero In)?
Solve the problem of INDIFFERENCE!

Indifferent customers have no compelling reason to purchase your product or service rather than your competitors' product or service. 

Indifferent employees are complacent because they are not passionate about coming to work each day.

Utilize the resources, books, and courses from Zero In to increase your customer retention, improve your customer experience, and build a passionate culture of innovation giving your team the ability to find new and better ways to serve your customers.

"Customers DO NOT buy your product or service, they buy what it can DO FOR THEM"
Customer-centricity means knowing your customers and giving them what they crave.  This helps you to build trust and loyalty, but also a solid reputation.  Loyal customers become fans of your brand and refer other customers to you.

"If you don't find new and better ways to serve your customers, SOMEONE ELSE WILL!"
Being Innovative brings new ideas, which is crucial to a business being able to find new and better ways to add value for your customers.  With innovation comes creative new products and services, increases in efficiency and, as a result, improved profitability.

BE THE BRAND CUSTOMERS LOVE AND THE COMPANY PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE TO WORK FOR

Founder and Chief Difference Maker

The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group

About the Commonwell
We are committed to profitable growth, team development, ingenuity, while having fun at work.  We offer a complete range of insurance products including residential, automobile, commercial, farm and watercraft. We encourage a work-life balance and we are serious about what we do!

About my Role
As Manager of the PMO, I lead a group project managers and business analysts to implement the project management office from the ground up.

About the PMO
Projects at the Commonwell are measured against timelines, budget, delivery of scope, but most importantly the realization of the intended benefits of each project.  Over 85% of projects at the Commonwell were consistantly green throughout 2018.

Manager, Project and Portfolio Management Office

As Manager of Application Services, I am responsible for planning, coordinating and managing the activities of the Application Services team within the Information Systems (IS) Department. This includes leadership and development of the IS team members, as well as providing direction and support for IS solutions to meet the present and future needs of the organization.

Manager of Application Services

Kawartha Lakes Food Source

Kawartha Lakes Food Source is a community effort to reduce hunger in the City of Kawartha Lakes by:

1. Maintaining a central warehouse to supply food to organizations that provide food to individuals in need,
2. Raising public awareness, and
3. Working in concert with other local not-for-profit organizations.

Board Of Directors

Operitel Corporation (An OpenText Company) 

ABout OpenText
OpenText, The Information Company™, a market leader in Enterprise Information Management software and solutions, enables intelligent and connected enterprises by managing, leveraging, securing and gaining insight into enterprise information, on-premises or in the cloud. 

About my Role
Directed a team of PS and R&D resources to develop and implement the LearnFlex LMS platform for over 40 clients.

Director of R&D and Professional Services

TELUS

Manager - Payment Solutions Development and Support

Emergis - A Telus Company

Manager

Emergis Inc

Business Coach | Keynote Speaker | Author of The Happy Accidents newsletter and The Accidental Solopreneur book

What I Do
I help teams, organizations, and solopreneurs flourish by focusing on what really matters: people.

As a speaker, author, and consultant, I equip audiences with practical, human-centered strategies to thrive in uncertain times, build meaningful businesses, and create lasting impact.

Who I Work With
• Event organizers seeking keynote speakers on serendipity, growth, and personal transformation
• Businesses and nonprofits looking to create stronger cultures, customer experiences, and leadership teams
• Solopreneurs who want to design businesses that give them both income and freedom


What I’ve Created
• Author of The Zero In Formula and The Accidental Solopreneur (bestseller)
• Creator of top-rated online courses for solopreneurs and authors
• Host of the Happy Accidents podcast and newsletter
• Keynote talks including 'The Power of Serendipity', 'Start Before You’re Ready', and 'Rooted in Humans'


Want to Work Together?
Let’s talk if you’re looking for:
✅ A keynote speaker for your next event
✅ A workshop or webinar for your team
✅ A course to help you grow as a solopreneur or author


DM me if you’d like to connect about speaking, workshops, or collaborations.

taplio

The Battle

Vaughan Broderick 🦆🌳

Dennis Geelen

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