Mark Polson

former VP, Creativity and Business Innovation, Global Management Strategies, Estee Lauder, Founder & Principal at Polson & Associates

Speaker

Mark Polson is the Principal and Founder of Polson & Associates, a consultancy focused on Design Thinking and helping organizations build their capabilities in creativity and innovation in an increasingly competitive and complex world.

Prior to establishing Polson & Associates, Mark was with The Estée Lauder Companies for 28 years, most recently as Vice President, Fast to Action and Design Thinking. In this capacity he worked closely with the business units across the organization to help teams develop a design-driven approach to solving strategic business issues, especially in the use of Design Thinking tools and methodologies. Over the course of his career working in roles as varied as industrial design, merchandising, package development, and Learning and Development, Mark developed a clear understanding of what drives the creative process in organizations. It’s all about leadership and how leaders build the right climate to enable teams to be at their best.

A passionate advocate for continuous learning, Mark is also an Adjunct Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where he teaches the course, “Managing the Creative Process” in the MPS Program for Cosmetics and Fragrances Marketing and Management. Over the past fifteen years teaching, he has twice been recognized with the Faculty Leadership Award voted by students in the MPS Program.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design degree from Syracuse University and a Master of Professional Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology. In addition, he is certified in the Creative Styles Indicator™ and is a Qualified Practitioner for the Situational Outlook Questionnaire®. He is also a frequent speaker and panelist at industry conferences.