I build design functions from the inside out. Small moves, proven value, then scale. When I joined Marex there were two of us, a scrappy website and a nascent design system. Five years later the function covers product design, engineering, brand, and digital marketing, and the infrastructure underneath it governs consistency across both product and brand. Since I joined, the brand has had to perform under conditions most design functions never face. IPO scrutiny, investor communications, regulatory visibility, rapid acquisition integration, global expansion. Through all of it the role of design was to build Marex into a brand that clients and investors could trust. Leading design in a financially regulated environment leaves no room for average. Resources are tight, every decision is aligned to commercial outcomes, and the usual creative latitude doesn’t exist. You learn quickly what actually matters and what’s just noise. I write about brand and design in financial services. Find me on LinkedIn.