Resume
Sebastián Rubio Merino
Design Strategist & Change Facilitator
New York City
I’m a strategist with 10+ years of experience helping organizations reframe challenges, anticipate future opportunities, and apply creative approaches to provoke meaningful change. Driven by research and collaboration, I blend design, marketing, and storytelling to inform strategy and shape communications, experiences, and services that spark curiosity and deliver value for people and businesses.
Strategic Experience
2018-2021
SanchoBBDO, Colombia
Head of Transformation
Headed the agency's transformation program, encompassing five key fronts: operational model, talent development, culture strategy, tech stack integrations, and digital production.
Orchestrated the implementation of a 3-month pilot program to test and expand the new operational model across all teams (400+ employees).
Facilitated OKRs, Value Proposition, and Culture Strategy workshops with over 40 leaders annually for three consecutive years.
Co-led the establishment of the Knowledge Management area, elevating digital abilities of 400+ employees: 2,000+ hours of digital-themed trainings. 220 employees certified as Creative Strategy Professionals through Facebook's Blueprint Training Program..
Oversaw the migration of 1,000+ employees to Microsoft Teams, our new global communication and collaboration software.
Strategic Planner
SanchoBBDO, Colombia
2016-2018
Advised over 10 regional and national brands on marketing and digital communications strategy, leading user and market research efforts, facilitating creative and strategic workshops and elaborating business proposals.
Led the strategic proposal for five successful new business reviews won by our agency between 2016-2018.
Designed a strategic methodology and process for Content Marketing projects, recognized as a global best practice at the Strategic Planning summit organized by BBDO in Paris, 2017
Independent Experience
Design Researcher
3x3 (Innovation Agency), NY
2022
Conducted bilingual interviews and facilitated focus group sessions; coded, analysed and translated insights and results for the NYCVotes platform, focusing on spanish-speaking communities in NYC.
Developed future scenarios to inform the digital strategy of one of the largest home improvement brands in the Colombian market.
Gathered and analyzed more than 250 cross-sector signals and trends as input for the development of speculative design workshops.
Elaborated and presented results to senior stakeholders.
1st (Digital Consulting Firm), Colombia
2022
Speculative Design Consultant
Market Research
Addi (Fintech), BR & CO
Elaborated strategic and trend analysis of the Brazilian and Colombian retail markets, demographics and e-commerce future.
2022
Strategy Consultant
Bellacruz del Llano, CO
Designed methodology and facilitated a 2-day strategic planning workshop integrating speculative design methods such as backcasting and future’s wheel.
2022
Education
MFA in Transdisciplinary Design
Merit-based Scholarship Recipient
Teaching Assistant for Design-led Research (2022)
Specialized Coursework: Design-Led Research / Public Service Design / Speculative Design / Climate Change / Care Design Lab / Group Process Lab
2021-2023
Parsons School of Design, NY
BA, Social Communication
(Minor: Film & TV Production)
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
2008-2013
Additional Training
Service Design Certificate
IDEO U (Online)
2020
Google (Online)
UX Design Foundations
2021
CESA, Colombia
Executive Leadership Diploma
2019
Teaching Experience
Teaching Fellow
2023 - Present
Parsons School of Design, NY
Teaching fellow for the BBA in Strategic Design & Management.
Course: Research & Development Methods.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Parsons School of Design, NY
Provided operational and academic support to instructors and students in the Design-led Research course at the MFA in Transdisciplinary Design.
2022
Additional Experience
2014-2016
SanchoBBDO, Colombia
Digital Content Producer
Young Marketing, Colombia
Social Media Manager
2011-2013
Young Marketing, Colombia
Content Director
2013-2014
Focus Areas & Interests
Design Strategy, Design Research, Service Design, Civic Innovation, Systems Thinking, Foresight, Digital Strategy, Social Impact, Sustainability & Education
Capacities
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Co-creating transformation processes that enable innovation and new ways of collaboration.
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Scanning signals, trends, and drivers of change and mapping implications at multiple levels of scale.
Envisioning preferable scenarios driven by research, imagination and grounded optimism.
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Reframing problems by triangulating methods at the intersection of design, systems thinking and social sciences.
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Assembling action plans that guide organizations and communities towards preferable futures (sustainable, equitable and resilient)
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Facilitating strategic spaces to take forward ideas, concepts and creative experiments for services, interfaces and human experiences.
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Making complex information legible and enjoyable through editorial, video and narrative-driven content.
