Design executive recruitment in the AI era

We’re hosting an upcoming Fireside conversation with Dirk Cleveland, Co-founder at Fusion.

In this member-exclusive session hosted by Gordon Ching, Founder and CEO of Design Executive Council, Dirk will share what a top executive recruiter is seeing on the ground in a structurally shifted talent market: which roles are being redefined, which are being eliminated, and what competencies command attention now that AI fluency is no longer a differentiator but a baseline expectation. For job seekers, the bar has moved. Learn what employers are actually evaluating — beyond portfolio and title — and how to position yourself as a leader operating at the intersection of design, AI, and business outcomes.

For design employers, hiring for design and research talent looks different from two years ago. Dirk surfaces where the candidate pool is shifting, what retention pressure looks like today, and how to build a compelling case for talent in a cost-scrutinized environment. The conversation also turns to compensation: as the market moves decidedly employer-side, understand how structures, equity expectations, and total packages are being recalibrated — and what that means for both sides of the table.

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