Cayce W. Owens Thrush

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DESIGN

Dynamic and visionary Director of Product Design with a proven track record in strategic leadership and fostering world-class experiences. Expert in leading design teams, implementing design systems, and driving innovation throughout the product lifecycle. Recognized for accelerating productivity by 30% and achieving significant improvements in UI/UX. Adept at aligning design strategies with business objectives to propel organizations to industry leadership. Proficient in Figma, FigJam, Miro, Sketch, Invision, Confluence, Jira, Trello, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Microsoft 365.

EXPERIENCE

• Orchestrated a high-performing design team to deliver industry-leading experiences across three products, bridging user needs with business objectives in both B2B and B2C sectors.
• Pioneered and executed the inaugural design system, harmonizing branded components across digital platforms, resulting in a remarkable 30% acceleration of design and development workflows.
• Spearheaded global expansion initiatives, tailoring platforms for six new countries and optimizing onboarding processes for three acquisitions, thereby facilitating seamless integration and market penetration.
• Crafted and executed a transformative design strategy, propelling Envoy Global’s immigration technology to the forefront of the industry by ensuring a unified user experience for attorneys, HR professionals, and foreign nationals.
• Established and nurtured the inaugural LGBTQIA+ employee resource group, fostering a culture of inclusivity, education, mentorship, and self-expression within the organization.
• Reporting to VP of Product

• Guided a proficient team of designers in delivering top-tier, user-centric designs across four digital products, cultivating strong corporate relationships through effective business interactions.
• Expanded the design team by recruiting three new talents, promoting a user researcher, and elevating two individuals to senior roles. This initiative not only enhanced design coverage, reducing workload and burnout but also fostered team growth and development.
• Managed end-to-end processes including discovery, roadmap prioritization, and user experience enhancements for carrier-focused platforms. Additionally, provided coaching and mentorship to empower designers in their respective focus areas.
• Collaborated closely with product leadership and strategy teams to develop high-quality visions and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving successful execution across teams.
• Reporting to CTO

• As a mentor, I cultivated a team of product designers to consistently deliver exceptional user experiences, setting a high standard for quality.
• Through close collaboration with developers and product teams, I orchestrated experiences that not only met but exceeded expectations, resulting in a remarkable 12% increase in carrier bookings.
• By forging strong partnerships with business stakeholders, I ensured that desktop and native mobile app experiences not only aligned seamlessly with company objectives but also positioned our offerings at the forefront of the freight industry, driving unparalleled success.
• Reporting to Director of UX

• Facilitated workshops with over 25 clients to identify challenges, craft user personas, and develop comprehensive roadmaps, goals, and user testing strategies.
• Elevated user interactions across a range of products, spanning global credit solutions, construction management apps, medical dashboards, and youth sports scheduling/payment systems, ensuring seamless user experiences across each of the diverse platforms.
• Conceptualized and executed original and innovative solutions to reinforce and amplify brand identity and voice across native apps, web applications, and desktop platforms.
• Produced meticulously detailed deliverables for both offshore and local engineering teams, ensuring the successful release of minimum viable products (MVPs). Provided continuous support, gathered user feedback, and refined designs for future iterations.
• Reporting to President

• Directed all creative endeavors for prominent brands including Plenti Local Dining, Rapid Rewards Dining, FREE Spirit Dining, Orbitz Dining, Upromise Dining by Sallie Mae, and various major airlines and hotel chains.
• Managed end-to-end project processes including deliverables, timelines, client and legal approvals, quality assurance, and final deployment of emails, webpages, and other digital assets.
• Designed adaptive microsites, responsive email marketing campaigns, and webpage assets for renowned brands such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Fuel Rewards by Shell, ClubO by Overstock.com, Orbitz, and Fogo de Chao.

EDUCATION