SéBASTIEN SIMPSON

AI-AUGMENTED PROGRAM LEAD.
DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND DESIGN OPERATIONS.

20 years of experience leading complex digital programs at the intersection of design, product and technology - bringing clarity, momentum, and delivery excellence for global brands.

Headshot of Sébastien Simpson, Program Manager and Design Operations Leader, Denver CO

INSIGHTS

BRANDS I’VE LED PROGRAMS FOR  

Fendi logo
L'Oreal logo
Cartier logo
Dell logo
Morgan Stanley logo
BBC Sport logo
Verizon logo
Japan Tobacco International logo
Wells Fargo logo
Cisco logo
Land Rover logo
Philip Morris International logo

TESTIMONIALS 

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Sébastien during his tenure at L’Oréal USA, and I can confidently say that he is an exceptional leader in his domain, with deep digital, marketing, product design, and technology expertise. His contributions are truly outstanding.

Pritesh Davda, Chief Information Officer | L’Oréal USA.

At Code and Theory, Sébastien consistently brought operational clarity to complex digital initiatives. He brings the pragmatic operational leadership that modern digital initiatives need.

Matthieu Mingasson, Managing Director, Enterprise Transformation | Code and Theory.

Sébastien has been instrumental in driving the design, development and deployment of the global digital ecosystem for Maybelline New York, in a complex and ambiguous environment. He’s a great partner, very knowledgeable and overall a nice person!

Emmanuel Miran, Global Chief Technology Officer, Wella Company

Sébastien has an exceptional ability to navigate between high-level strategy and the finer details with ease. He remains composed in challenging situations and infuses a sense of enjoyment into any team he joins. His humility is impressive and not often seen in others.
Sébastien brings together business, design, and technology; he’s a translator between disciplines. With him on board, you know you’re going to deliver a top-notch product!

Greg Whitescarver, CTO, Revaire; previously Group Director, Technology at Huge

WHAT I DO  

  • Ai-Augmentation

    AI-Augmented Program Management.

    I lead large projects and coordinate and oversee groups of related projects that support an organization's goals and objectives. I manage (often distributed) cross-functional teams spanning from marketing, strategy, UX, UI, and technology.

    How I use AI in program delivery
    I use AI to reduce noise and increase signal across delivery: faster synthesis, clearer decisions, earlier risk detection, and better stakeholder alignment — while keeping humans accountable for judgment and outcomes.

    I write about AI and I have expertise in deploying agentic AI to impact program, product and design operations within orgs.

  • Digital product design and delivery icon

    Digital Product Design & Delivery.

    I deliver digital products at the intersection of strategic product vision — grounded in both quanti and quali insights — program management, and operational and technology acumen.

    I own the end-to-end lifecycle, from strategy through design and technology development, fluent in both waterfall and agile/scrum.

    AI now handles roughly 80% of the build competently; my job is to protect the 20% where brand and product experience actually live — the interaction detail, the creative direction, the sense that someone actually cared.

    I ship products that feel considered, not just completed.

  • A modern house with wooden and white siding, large glass window, situated in a mountainous landscape with dry grass and small trees.

    Design Operations Leadership.

    I create space for creativity: I engineer process and facilitate cross-functional collaboration at scale to make the day-to-day simple and efficient.

    I build the frameworks and methodologies that streamline and define the cadence of a business, working alongside UX and UI designers, experience and content strategists, and researchers.

    As the tools stop enforcing the org chart, DesignOps becomes less about policing hand-offs and more about protecting focus — reducing noise, clarifying ownership, and giving talented people the conditions to do their best, most deliberate work.

  • Client Advisory and New Business.

    My agency background taught me to build lasting ties with clients and to act as a genuine partner and trusted advisor across their initiatives, not just a vendor executing a brief.

    I lead new business opportunities alongside cross-functional agency teams, shaping the pitch, the point of view, and the path to delivery.

    In an era where output is cheap and taste is scarce, the advisor's real value is judgment — knowing which problem is worth solving, which risk is worth naming early, and how to make a client feel understood rather than simply serviced.

  • Change Management & Strategy.

    I diagnose complex issues and operational roadblocks, then introduce effective outcomes through exhaustive discovery, audits, and solutions architecture.

    Change rarely fails on the strategy slide; it fails in the messy middle, where new tools collide with old habits and role definitions.

    I lead teams through that transition with clarity and momentum — sequencing the work, naming the trade-offs, and keeping humans accountable for judgment even as AI collapses the cost of doing.

    The goal isn't change for its own sake, but durable capability the organization actually keeps.

  • Partnerships, Culture & Communications.

    As a cross-functional partner and collaboration leader, I foster confidence and form relationships built on communication and mutual trust.

    I value curiosity, kindness, diversity, and ingenuity — and I treat culture as infrastructure, not decoration.

    That belief is why I'm part of KIND/RED, Musa Tariq's community of kindness, a group built on the idea that ambition and generosity aren't opposites.

    In a moment where AI can make everyone faster without making anyone more confident, that human connective tissue — trust, shared language, genuine care — is what turns a group of specialists into a team that actually delivers.

  • Feedback & Learning Loops.

    I put an emphasis on measurement and evaluation across the product lifecycle, with feedback loops that foster clarity, quantify impact, and identify risks before they ignite.

    Speed without signal is just faster guessing, so I design cadences — reviews, retros, instrumentation — that turn activity into insight and insight into better decisions.

    The aim is a team that learns in public and improves on purpose: quick to detect when something isn't landing, honest about why, and disciplined enough to keep the judgment human even when the synthesis is machine-assisted.

portfolio

  • Sebastien Simpson - L’Oréal Maybelline eCommerce program, +120% unique visits

    L’Oréal | Maybelline

    Scope: global

    Keywords: #eCommerce, #CPG, #Beauty, #UX, #Design, #Technology

    At L’Oréal, I was responsible for global strategy, design, development, and deployment of Maybelline’s digital properties (eCommerce, mobile applications, in-store digital experience).

    Results: unique visits: +120%, engagement rate: +50% in 6 months (global average).

    MaybellineNewYork.com

  • Sebastien Simpson - Wells Fargo UX Design Program Management

    Wells Fargo

    Scope: USA

    Keywords: #Web, #Mobile, #PaymentApplications, #Banking #Accessibility #UX #Design

    Leading UX and Design Program Management for the full payment applications portfolio (web, mobile).

    Results: digital products implementation velocity: +35% in 6 months.

    WellsFargo.com

  • Land Rover - client of Sebastien Simpson, program management

    Land Rover USA

    Scope: USA

    Keywords: #Web, #Automotive, #CRM, #DigitalMarketing

    Leading digital marketing, CRM program and website design and production for Land Rover USA.

    Results: +80% unique visits; + 50% handraisers in 1 year.

    LandRoverUSA.com

  • Nordic Spirit - client of Sebastien Simpson, program management

    Japan Tobacco International | Nordic Spirit

    Scope: Europe

    Keywords: #Web, #eCommerce, #UX, #Design, #Technology

    Leading strategy, UX, design, development, and deployment of the global instance of the website; overseeing localization in European countries.

    Results: speed to market | 4 months turnaround.

    Nordic Spirit UK instance

  • Armani Beauty - client of Sebastien Simpson, program management

    L’Oréal | Armani Beauty USA

    Scope: USA

    Keywords: #Web, #eCommerce, #Luxury, #Beauty, #UX, #Design, #Technology

    Leading UX, design, development and deployment of the US instance of the eCommerce website.

    Results: +50% unique visits within 6 months of launch.

    GiorgioArmaniBeauty.com

  • Philip Morris International - client of Sebastien Simpson, program management

    Philip morris international | IQOS

    Scope: global

    Keywords: #Web, #Retail, #Digital, #ExperienceDesign, #ServiceDesign, #UX

    Leading programs that intersect digital and physical retail initiatives, I led the design and implementation of the full offline/online ecosystem for IQOS, the top Reduced Risk Product for PMI.

    Results: digital products implementation velocity: +25%.

    Creation and rollout of new stores in Europe and Asia, including the new visual identity and digital touch screens, growing sales by 30% at the POS.

    Iqos.com

NEED MORE DETAILS ON METHODOLOGY AND SIZES OF TEAMS I LED? CONTACT ME

ABOUT ME 

Outdoor café seating with wicker chairs and a red round table on a sidewalk, against a red wooden background.

With 20 years of experience in digital product development and design operations leadership, I've helped organizations across industries transform their digital presence and operational capabilities.

I've worked with Fortune 500 companies and leading agencies, consistently delivering measurable results while fostering collaborative team environments.

Mini Bio:

Born and raised in Paris, France.

Education: École Alsacienne, one of Paris's most selective independent schools, for most of my childhood and teen years. Mathematics-focused curriculum at Lycée Louis-Le-Grand, France's top-ranked preparatory lycée and a historic feeder to the grandes écoles, with seven Nobel laureates and six Fields Medal winners among its alumni. Master's in Business and Economics at Omnes Education. Post-graduate degree in web design, technology, and project management at Gobelins, l'École de l'Image, an internationally recognized institution for digital and visual arts.

After Paris, living in New York, then San Francisco, Geneva, and most recently Denver, CO.

Dual French + US citizenship.
Fluent French and English.

Sébastien Simpson (also known as Sebastien Simpson, Sebastian Simpson, or Seb Simpson) is an AI-augmented program lead based in Denver, Colorado, specializing in digital product delivery and design operations. With over 20 years of experience, he has led programs for L’Oréal, Wells Fargo, Verizon, LVMH, Cisco,and other Fortune 500 brands.

WHO I WORKED FOR/WITH