BIOGRAPHY

Steve’s skills as an innovation strategist, expert facilitator and executive coach stem from his decades of research and work in creativity, design-led innovation and leadership development.  His first career in the in the creative industries covered design, digital media, publishing, education and enterprise. (linkedin.com/in/stevepozel)

Since 2016, Steve has been engaged as a consultant with major companies as well as State and Federal organisations.  He refined his coaching and consultancy by addressing strategic challenges through innovation methodologies. Over two decades, much of his inspiration and wisdom came from studying under Jeanne Liedtka, a leading strategy professor, from the Darden School for Business at the University of Virginia and author of Designing for Growth & Solving Problems with Design Thinking.

Steve joined the dynamic and highly regarded Sydney consultancy practice Curious Collective, as an Associate in November 2016. Between 2018 and August 2022, Steve became Partner of Curious Collective alongside it’s founding and long-term CEO Gauri Bhalla. Curious focused on strategic innovation and worked with clients to foster a “think differently” approach, supported by coaching strategies to amplify creativity, curiosity and innovative ways to solve organisational and societal challenges. Key clients included: NSW Department of Education;  NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA); CBA; Asthma Australia; Stockland; SBS; NIDA; JewishCare; and Australian Ethical.

Past Clients

Some of the key client work undertaken by Steve Pozel Projects has included organisations such as: Barangaroo Delivery Authority; Telstra; Optus; Novartis; Sydney Opera House; JewishCare; TEDx Sydney; Cerebral Palsy Alliance; NSW Department of Education; Catholic School Board; and the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Innovation Methodologies

Steve delivers both learning and project results, “in the flow of work” by utilising design thinking, agile and lean development methodologies. He provides the tools leaders need to become innovative thinkers and uncover the opportunities that lead to transformative outcomes. Steve brings different approaches together in a range of tailored innovation labs and sprints that build staff capability and engagement.

Steve can develop in an organisation capacities for:

-       championing a client centred/ human-centred problem-solving methodology;

-       deep listening and empathy interviewing;

-       synthesising insights to form new approaches to emerging opportunity spaces;

-       building creative confidence, brainstorming and ideation capabilities;

-       amplifying collaboration while embracing ambiguity;

-       leveraging constraints and failure more easily;

-       key Lean tools including the Business Model Canvas; Context Mapping and Customer Value Propositions.

Coaching

Steve also provides hands-on coaching to project teams to help supercharge team performance by providing support for healthy team dynamics through an outside perspective and constructive feedback. He provides personalised feedback and coaching to embed key capabilities and mindsets for innovation, while challenging team assumptions and status quo behaviours.

Keynotes, Guest Presenter & Lecturing

Steve has been a guest speaker and presenter at a wide range of events and forums including: Prime Minister’s Forum on the Future of the Digital Economy; McKinsey & Company; University of Sydney; UNSW; and UTS.

He has presented his own research and sector insights to organisations such as Digital TransformationOffice (DTO), BCG, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Interbrand, Lend Lease, Optus, and McKinsey & Company.

He has been a lecturer at UNSW Art & Design; Faculty Member at the Banff Centre School of Management (Banff Canada); and former faculty member at The School of Life, Sydney.

Advisory

He has held numerous advisory positions in Canada, USA and Australia including as an Industry Fellow for the UTS Business School; UTS Design, Architecture & Built Environment, Advisory Board Member; committee member for the federal Minister’s development of a national cultural policy; member of the Sydney Opera House curatorial panel; founding board member of the Australian Design Alliance.

Keynotes, Guest Presenter & Lecturing

Steve was also CEO and Creative Director of the Australian Design Centre in Sydney for more than fifteen years. He has developed and produced programs for the Sydney Opera House; Art Gallery of NSW; Melbourne Museum; 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Japan; and the V&A Museum in London among others. Steve has been a keynote speaker and presenter at the London Design Festival, Beijing Design Festival, Melbourne Design Festival, and a regular presenter at Sydney’s VIVID Ideas festival.

International Cultural Organisations - Museums, Galleries & Placemaking

Creative Associate for Placemaking - Barangaroo Delivery Authority (2017- 2019), developed a range of projects across architecture, film, public art and sculptural interventions for the Barangaroo Reserve and Barangaroo South.

CEO & Creative Director - Australian Design Centre (2000 - 2015) is considered one of Australia’s leading centres for design(australiandesigncentre.com), having established an international reputation for innovation and excellence in exhibitions, touring, digital content, publishing, learning and outreach programs.

Director of Marketing and Communications - Museum of Contemporary Art (1997 - 1999 ) is one of Australia's leading contemporary art museums situated at Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia.

Director - The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (1992 - 1997 ) is considered Canada's leading public art gallery devoted exclusively to the exhibition and interpretation of contemporary art located at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.

Director - Oakville Galleries (1989 - 1992 ) is a public gallery with a prominent art collection and diverse program of exhibitions focusing on Canadian contemporary art.Oakville Ontario, just twenty minutes outside of Toronto.

Director - Mercer Union: a centre for contemporary visual art, (1982 - 1989) is a leading contemporary visual artist-run centre in Toronto, Canada. 

Education

University of Oxford - Oxford Mindfulness Centre ( summer 2018 & summer 2019 )

Mindfulness in Turbulent Times (2019)/ Mindfulness in a Changing World (2018): with Mark Williams, Chris Cullen, Chris Tamdjidi and Ruth Baer in a summer school program exploring the next waves of innovation and development in mindfulness through perspectives of cognitive science, philosophical wisdom from western and eastern traditions, and the contemporary experience of mindfulness teachers, practitioners and innovators in a range of contexts and fields. 

York University, Toronto, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours BFA), Arts Administration, Art History, Studio (1979 - 1983)