Theophilus Thomas — Head of Design

I work at the intersection of Technology, Business, and Design, helping organizations turn complexity into clear strategy, scalable innovation, and meaningful customer experiences. With 13+ years of global experience across consumer electronics, smart devices, AI/robotics, automotive, and enterprise solutions, I’ve built and led design strategy functions that move ideas from insight to market, often under compressed timelines and across cultures. What I’m known for: • Bridging strategy and execution in complex, cross-cultural organizations • Turning ambiguous problems into structured, decision-ready frameworks • Aligning leadership intent with frontline reality to deliver outcomes • Building and mentoring high-performing, multidisciplinary teams Experience across: • Consumer Electronics & Smart Devices • AI, Robotics & Automotive Experiences • Healthcare, Education & Enterprise Solutions Currently expanding my global leadership perspective through the Kellogg–HKUST Executive MBA (KH29). 📩 Open to conversations around strategy, innovation, leadership, and collaboration.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Design and Innovation Leader in Consumer Electronics and Technology sectors.

Location: Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Experience: 7 yrs 1 mo

Skills

Design Strategy
Innovation
Market Insights
Product Strategy
Design Planning
Product Innovation
Business Analysis
Strategy

Career Highlights

Established TCL's Design Strategy function.
Led award-winning design initiatives at TCL.
Transitioned TCL to data-driven product strategies.

Work Experience

TCL

Head of Design Strategy, TCL Design Innovation Center (DIC) (6 yrs 5 mos)

Head of Insights, Global Product Center, TCL Communication (1 yr 1 mo)

Samsung Electronics

Head of Design Planning, Samsung Design Delhi (SDD) (5 yrs 8 mos)

Mindtree Ltd.

Business Analyst: CPG, Retail & Manufacturing Vertical (5 mos)

Mahindra & Mahindra

Group Management Cadre (B-school Intern): Strategy Team, Auto Division (2 mos)

Education

Executive MBA at Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA Program

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) at Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow

Innovation Design Engineering at Imperial College London

Bachelor of Design at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati

Intermediate Education at Kaizen Academy

Intermediate Education at Visakha Junior College

Primary and Secondary School Education at Kendriya Vidyalaya

at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management

at HKUST Business School

Theophilus Thomas

Head of Design

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China7 yrs 1 mo experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Established TCL's Design Strategy function.
Led award-winning design initiatives at TCL.
Transitioned TCL to data-driven product strategies.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Design and Innovation Leader in Consumer Electronics and Technology sectors.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Design StrategyInnovationMarket InsightsProduct StrategyDesign PlanningProduct InnovationBusiness AnalysisStrategy

Other Skills

User InsightsVisual Communication DesignCross-functional CollaborationDesign Trend ResearchInnovation InsightsGlobal Brand CoherenceProduct Portfolio StrategyGTM NarrativesID-UX-Usecase ScenariosProduct LocalizationHealthcare Service DesignMarket Opportunity AnalysisBusiness DevelopmentPre-sales SupportSolution Articulation

About

Experience

7 yrs 1 mo

Total Experience

Average Tenure

7 yrs 1 mo

Current Experience

Tcl

2 roles

Head of Design Strategy, TCL Design Innovation Center (DIC)

Promoted

Jan 2020 – Present · 6 yrs 5 mos · On-site

Established and scaled TCL’s Design Strategy function at the corporate level (TCL Industries / SDBG Smart Device Business Group), integrating insights, aesthetics, and innovation across all major product categories.
① Organizational Leadership & Integration
Founded the Design Strategy Department within DIC, integrating Design Strategy, User Insights, and Visual Communication Design into a unified, enterprise-level function.
Define design strategy and aesthetic direction across Display, Audio, Smart Home & MDA, Mobile, AI & Robotics, Automotive, and emerging categories.
Partner with Business Units, R&D, Brand, and GTM teams to ensure design consistency across product, marketing, packaging, and global launches at the regional BG level.
② Strategy, Innovation & Portfolio Impact
Drive forward-looking design trend research and innovation insights, supporting NPI landing and portfolio transformation across multiple business units.
Spearhead cross-category design languages (HORIZON → EMOTRIC → MOBIUS), strengthening global brand coherence and premium positioning.
Enable design-led differentiation across major global platforms (AWE Shanghai, IFA Berlin, CES Las Vegas, Milan Design Week, Olympic activations), translating partnership strategy into compelling narratives, experiences, and new product innovation opportunities.
③ Recognition, Partnerships & Outcomes
Led teams in securing 100+ international design awards (iF, Red Dot, G-Mark, IDEA) across TVs, appliances, and smart devices.
Curated and led global collaborations (e.g., Bang & Olufsen, Chris Lefteri, Alcantara, Castelli, Roche Bobois, BMW Designworks), strengthening product power and reinforcing TCL’s ambition to evolve toward a premium, design-led global brand.
Represent TCL Design Strategy in global forums, press, and leadership dialogues, reinforcing design as a strategic growth driver.

Design StrategyUser InsightsVisual Communication DesignCross-functional CollaborationDesign Trend ResearchInnovation Insights+2

Head of Insights, Global Product Center, TCL Communication

May 2019 – Jun 2020 · 1 yr 1 mo · On-site

Transition to Global HQ Role: From Regional Design Leadership to Corporate Strategy & Innovation
Built and led TCL Communication’s market & consumer insights function, shifting NPI from intuition-led to data- and insight-driven decision-making.
Translated market, consumer, and technology insights into product portfolio strategy and GTM narratives for TCL’s first-generation branded smartphones (TCL PLEX).
Defined ID-UX-usecase scenarios and 3–5 year product roadmaps in collaboration with advanced R&D, HQ sales, and regional teams.
Shaped TCL’s core technology and brand narratives: “NXTVISION” and “DISPLAY GREATNESS” adopted across products and communications.

Market InsightsProduct Portfolio StrategyGTM NarrativesID-UX-Usecase ScenariosProduct Strategy

Samsung electronics

Head of Design Planning, Samsung Design Delhi (SDD)

Sep 2013 – May 2019 · 5 yrs 8 mos · Seoul, South Korea; Noida & Gurgaon, India · On-site

① Role Progression & Global Exposure
Progressed from Assistant Manager → Head of Design Planning (Deputy Studio Director) at SDD; represented Design HQ (Seoul) within SWA Regional Product Planning (Gurgaon), embedding design strategy into regional roadmap and decisions.
Advised the Samsung Global Strategy Group (GSG) on product localization strategies for India and China, supporting the setup of the world’s largest mobile factory in India.
Selected for Samsung’s Global Mobility Program (2016) to work at Samsung HQ (Seoul); consistently rated a top performer.
Filed 12 global utility patents (India, South Korea, USA), reflecting sustained innovation output across products and services.
② Product Innovation & Market Impact
Designed differentiated UX scenarios and hardware–software features (Smart Glow Camera, Bike Mode, Data Saving), shaping the identity of the Galaxy J/A series. Enabled 2M+ unit sales within 2 months, helping Samsung regain market leadership, defend against C-brands, and improve mobile division margins by 1–2%.
Led Healthcare Service Design initiatives: prepared MRD & PRD for a virtual outpatient department, awarded Best Project by Samsung CEO (2014), and supported pilot launch at Global Hospital (India) and Samsung Medical Center (Korea).
Facilitated product and service opportunity analysis across the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar) for MicroLED TV (The Wall) and Health & Medical Equipment (HME) expansion.
③ Design Localization, Platforms & Social Impact
Licensed artworks and CMF designs for digital device wallpapers and home appliances.
Collaborated with Samsung HQ to localize 11 SamsungOne Indic font families (Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Gurmukhi; Bengali, Kannada, Odia, Telugu; Malayalam, Sinhala, Ol-Chiki).
Conceptualized an AI- and AR-based intelligent document storage and retrieval system with contextual service recommendations, partnering with the Government of India’s DigiLocker initiative.

Design PlanningProduct LocalizationHealthcare Service DesignMarket Opportunity AnalysisProduct Innovation

Mindtree ltd.

Business Analyst: CPG, Retail & Manufacturing Vertical

Apr 2013 – Sep 2013 · 5 mos · Bengaluru Area, India · On-site

Supported enterprise pre-sales and business development, contributing to bid strategy and solution articulation for large CPG, retail, and manufacturing clients.
Acted as a bridge between business, technical, and leadership stakeholders, aligning perspectives to shape customer-ready solutions.
Contributed to pursuits involving Fortune-scale retailers, global F&B leaders, and Middle East conglomerates, gaining early exposure to high-stakes decision environments.

Business DevelopmentPre-sales SupportSolution ArticulationBusiness Analysis

Mahindra & mahindra

Group Management Cadre (B-school Intern): Strategy Team, Auto Division

Apr 2012 – Jun 2012 · 2 mos · Mumbai Area, India · On-site

Selected into Mahindra’s Group Management Cadre (GMC), a high-potential leadership track, and embedded within the Strategic Management Group for the Automotive Division.
Developed a customer purchase-experience roadmap, benchmarking the end-to-end funnel against leading OEMs and adjacent industries.
Identified value vs. non-value adding activities and defined strategic capability pillars to support long-term growth and sales scale-up.

Customer Experience RoadmapStrategic Capability DefinitionStrategy