David Dunne, Chris Ferguson and Paolo Korre on 'Redesigning Value'

Following the conversation, we invite you to join us for a meet-and-greet with the author, book signing and light refreshments.

Co-Presented by: Business Design Initiative

Redesigning Value: A Practical Manifesto for Designers and Organizations (July 2025, UTP Publishing)

David Dunne, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Marketing, Rotman School of Management

Christopher Ferguson, Founder of Bridgeable; Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto

Paolo Korre, Director, Design and Innovation, Medavie Blue Cross

Moderator: Emma Aiken-Klar, Academic Director, Business Design Initiative; Assistant Professor Part-Time, teaching stream, Marketing, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Businesses and designers both want to create value. What could go wrong?

Time and again, ambitious design projects within organizations fail to deliver the sort of impact designers believe is possible, and managers say they want. At the root of such failures are basic disconnects between how managers and designers view the world.

Managers often look to design to increase financial value, while designers typically see their profession as creating value for users and society. Countless opportunities to address pressing ethical, social, and environmental concerns die in the gap between the two, as managers and designers misconstrue each other’s intent and misunderstand each other’s needs. How can both do better?

The answer lies in Redesigning Value. Drawing from real-world examples and insights from over one hundred designers, design experts, leaders of design labs, and design “skeptics” at leading organizations, including Google, CNN, Citi Bank, Fidelity Insurance, the Mayo Clinic, and Shopify, the book provides a road map from leaders who have been there and a practical manifesto to inspire the sort of action our world so sorely needs.

David Dunne is a Senior Lecturer Emeritus of Marketing and Co-Director of Rotman Teaching Effectiveness Centre. David is an award-winning educator, holding the President’s Teaching Award at the University of Toronto and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship. He has taught and directed several executive programs on marketing, innovation and strategy worldwide. David consults in strategy and marketing to leading companies. He is regularly quoted in the media on marketing strategy, advertising and related issues. His research interests include management education, creativity and problem solving and health education in developing countries.

Chris Ferguson is a design leader, professor, and applied researcher at the University of Toronto. He founded Bridgeable, a globally recognized design studio, and in 2024 transitioned it to employee ownership to ensure its long-term impact. For more than twenty years, Chris has helped organizations in the public and private sectors tackle complex challenges—earning recognition from the Design Management Institute, Fast Company, and the Service Design Network. A passionate advocate for the power of design to drive change, he speaks, writes, and teaches worldwide on how design and strategy can create better futures.

Paolo Korre is Director of Design and Innovation at Medavie, where he has spent over 15 years leading teams to rethink services and experiences in the health and insurance sectors. A seasoned strategist and design leader, he has worked with organizations such as SE Health, Sunlife Life, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the U.S. Veterans Health Administration to drive system-level transformation. Paolo lectured and taught design in university programs and health institutions across Canada and the U.S. His work bridges strategy, creativity, and systems thinking to tackle complex challenges in care delivery and organizational change. He holds both an MBA and a Master of Design from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Moderator: Emma Aiken-Klar, Academic Director, Business Design Initiative; Assistant Professor Part-Time, teaching stream, Marketing, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Emma is an anthropologist with over a decade of industry experience applying human-centered research methodologies to complex business and design challenges. She works with clients to uncover insights about human beliefs and behaviors and translates this understanding into strategies that elevate human experiences and improve business outcomes. Her strategic guidance augments traditional decision-making frameworks to deliver human-centered business impacts.

Formally trained in anthropological theory and ethnographic methods, Emma has conducted extensive research into a broad range of social phenomena, including consumer and popular culture, digital interactivity, the future of data privacy and security, gender equity at work and the cultural aspects of technological innovation

This event is available to attend in-person or virtually via livestream.

Rotman Events is committed to accessibility for all people. If you have any access needs or if there are any ways we can support your full participation in this session, please email Mandi Gosling [[email protected]] no later than 2 weeks in advance of the event and we will be glad to work with you to make the appropriate arrangements.

• The event will be hosted in Desautels Hall at the Rotman School of Management (105 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6). Your registration fee includes a copy of the book, meet-and-greet with book signing by the author, as well as access to a video replay of the session for 30 days.

• Rotman Events will email registrants a link to the livestream. Your registration fee includes access to the livestream, video replay for 30 days, a copy of the book and shipping fees. The book will be shipped to registrants after the event. Please allow 3 - 4 weeks for delivery.

• Unable to attend the event due to scheduling conflicts? Not to worry. All registrants (in-person or livestream) can access the full recording on-demand for one month after the live event.

• Refunds will only be issued for cancellations received in writing NO LATER than 24 hours prior to the event. Please email [email protected] for processing.

• In-person registrants who do not pick up their book at the event will have 5 business days to request postal delivery by emailing us at [email protected]. All unclaimed books will be returned to the publisher after that time.

Questions: [email protected], Megan Murphy

Host or Publisher Rotman Events