Hello, I'm Chad.
Innovation Strategy | Service Design | Research Leadership
From elite cycling to advertising photography to innovation strategy, my journey has shaped a unique approach to product and service transformation. I bring an athlete's systematic discipline, a photographer's creative vision, and a designer's human-centered rigor to every challenge. Known for energizing teams while delivering measurable impact, I combine deep customer insight with an ability to build lasting relationships and drive sustainable innovation.
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My Expertise
Innovation Strategy
What I Do:
• Lead discovery and validation
• Design research frameworks
• Facilitate innovation workshops
• Build venture opportunities
Service Design
What I Do:
• Create service blueprints
• Map customer journeys
• Lead co-creation sessions
• Design scalable systems
Research Leadership
What I Do:
• Conduct stakeholder research
• Lead synthesis workshops
• Guide strategic decisions
• Build validation frameworks
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Value I Deliver
Business Impact
Results for Your Organization:
• Accelerate time to market
• Reduce development risk
• Enable data-driven decisions
• Transform insights into value
Product Impact
Results for Your Solutions:
• Increase customer adoption
• Enable scalable growth
• Validate market opportunities
• Drive sustainable transformation
Team Impact
Results for Your People:
• Build innovation capabilities
• Enable autonomous discovery
• Create alignment across functions
• Maintain project momentum
Projects I'm Proud Of
Transforming Sustainable Shipping (Posti)
Role - Innovation Lead
The Challenge
How might we create a sustainable packaging ecosystem
For sustainability-minded businesses
In ways that are affordable and engaging
So we reduce waste and environmental impact
Discovery
• Conducted 135+ interviews across 5 countries
• Tested ideas with 118 companies
• Mapped operational pain points
• Identified behavioral barriers
Key Insights
• Current protective packaging creates unnecessary waste
• Complex operations slow adoption of sustainable solutions
• Shipping air is expensive and a waste of space
• Users resistant to changing existing habits
The Solution
Three-part solution
1. Boxless: Ship without extra packaging
2. Circulate: Reuse packaging materials
3. Air Eraser: Pack multiple items efficiently
Impact
• 8.5/10 customer validation score
• 18 companies ready to pilot
• €79M potential in current markets
• Could expand to €6.5B across Europe
Leadership Impact
"Chad's ability to manage day-to-day operations while facilitating team discussions and decision-making was remarkable. He took on a leading role, bridging gaps and ensuring we maintained momentum."
Pain Journey Map Workshop to identify key pains, stakeholders and opportunities
Solution testing for desirability, improvements, and hypothesis de-risking
Decarbonising Commercial Real Estate (Hines)
Decarbonization Journey x Stakeholder involvement to determine opportunity area
Solution testing for desirability, improvements, and hypothesis de-risking
Role - CX Research & Service Design Lead
The Challenge
How might we enable faster decarbonization of the built environment
For property owners and managers in Europe
In ways that leverage data and operate at scale
So we generate financial benefits and sustainable outcomes
Discovery
• Led 150+ stakeholder interviews across UK/EU
• Mapped decision-making journeys
• Analyzed solution provider ecosystem
• Conducted site observations
Key Insights
• Property owners lack clear sustainability benchmarks
• Difficult to compare and trust solution providers
• Time-consuming procurement processes
• Unclear return on investment
The Solution
Marketplace platform connecting:
1. Property owners with vetted solutions
2. Data-driven decision support tools
3. Streamlined procurement process
4. Clear ROI visualization
Impact
• Successfully spun out as CQuel
• £10.4M in project value
• Reduced procurement time by 60%
• 50k m² property impact
• 1,025 tonnes CO2e potential reduction
Leadership Impact
"Chad's guidance was consistently clear and well-received by the entire team. He demonstrated particular excellence in facilitating synthesis sessions and collaborative exercises. His skill in maintaining team focus during complex discussions was invaluable."
Accelerating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Airbus)
Role - CX Reseach & Design Lead
The Challenge
How might we accelerate sustainable aviation fuel adoption
For airlines and fuel producers
In ways that build confidence and simplify processes
So we increase sustainable fuel usage across the industry
Discovery
• Conducted 210+ stakeholder interviews
• Mapped aviation fuel ecosystem
• Analyzed market barriers
• Validated opportunities with key players
Key Insights
• Lack of confidence in fuel production
• Complex investment decisions
• Fragmented stakeholder landscape
• Difficult to track emissions
The Solution
Platform connecting:
• SAF producers with corporate buyers
• Demand aggregation framework
• Simplified emissions reporting
• Clear investment pathways
Impact
• "Most impactful innovation project in Airbus in 20 years"
• Validated market entry strategy
• Created implementation roadmap
• Transformed industry approach
Leadership Impact
"Mach49 has the outside in view and the ‘doing’ mindset. I’ve seen more work done by the M49 team in the last few weeks than in the last 3 years inside Airbus" - Strategy Lead
SAF Production Stakeholder Map to identify key stakeholders, blockers, and opportunites
Solution testing for desirability, improvements, and hypothesis de-risking
Reimagining Corporate Feedback (Mach49)
Service Blueprint for a seamless flow and to determine the touchpoints for implementation
Final version of performance sync including instructions and cross-culture information
Role - Service Design Lead
The Challenge
How might we create an ongoing feedback system
For employees and leaders globally
In ways that are simple and valuable
So we increase engagement and development
Discovery
• Conducted interviews across global teams
• Observed current feedback practices
• Facilitated ideation sessions with senior leadership
• Tested digital prototypes
Key Insights
• Annual reviews too infrequent for growth
• Feedback is often vague and not actionable
• Cultural barriers limit open feedback
• Lack of actionable development paths
The Solution
AI-enhanced feedback platform:
• Quarterly check-in structure
• Automated synthesis and documentation
• Structured guidance for actionable feedback
• Cross-cultural communication guides
Impact
• Reduced administrative time by 50%
• Accelerated feedback from annual to quarterly
• Enhanced cross-cultural communication
• Created clear pathways for development
• Established "Feedback is a gift" growth culture
Leadership Impact
"Your partnership was a key factor in how positive the feedback has been... Your ability to hold the space of curiosity, not lead the interviewee, and hold the space for people to think out loud was excellent. You kept me on schedule and leveraged AI effectively for synthesis." - Kim, SVP People
Crafting Immersive Experiences (PortfolioT)
Role - CX Reseach & Design Lead
The Challenge
How might we create transformative virtual experiences
For global explorers
In ways that induce flow states
So we deliver meaningful connections
Discovery
• Interviewed flow experts (athletes, psychonauts, missionaries)
• Mapped psychological journey touchpoints
• Tested virtual experience prototypes
• Analyzed what makes adventures meaningful
Key Insights
• Best adventures balance planning with spontaneity
• Growth comes from leaving comfort zones
• Virtual experiences need physical anchors
• Authentic culture needs safe exploration space
The Solution
Experience framework focusing on:
• Flow state triggers and progression
• Physical-digital connection points
• Balanced comfort/discomfort zones
• Authentic local engagement
Impact
• Created a library of validated experience concepts
• Developed partner capability program
• Made cultural experiences more accessible
• Provided hotel division with a future roadmap
Leadership Impact
"The team's approach to understanding human experiences went far beyond traditional research. Their ability to connect with diverse groups and translate insights into innovative concepts while building our team's capabilities was remarkable."
Flow state journey map to identify pains and hypothesis for value proposition testing
Value proposition testing synthesis - storyboard & interview notes
Virtual Reality experimentation during stand-up (Workroom Horizon)
