Byron Merritt

Byron Merritt: SCI-Arc Board Trustee and Design Executive

Byron Merritt is a design industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, currently serving as a Board Trustee at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and Vice President of Design at Amazon Music.134

Merritt holds a Master of Architecture degree from SCI-Arc (M.Arch 1 '99) and has had tenured roles at companies like Nike, Delta Airlines, and IDEO.1 At Amazon Music, he leads a global multidisciplinary design team across brand, UX, marketing, voice, and more, driving the evolution of Amazon Music into a leading audio-first entertainment service.1

Prior to Amazon, Merritt spent over 13 years at Nike, where he held leadership roles in Marketing, Design, Digital Product, and Innovation, pioneering award-winning digital and physical customer experiences.1 He also led the creation of Nike's first Nike Live concept, an innovative, connected shopping experience which won Retail Concept of the Year.1

As a Board Trustee at SCI-Arc, Merritt shares, "SCI-Arc was a pivotal part of my early creative journey and was foundational in allowing me to push the boundaries of where an education in architecture could take one. I am honored and excited to come back to SCI-Arc in a capacity to help shape its next chapter."1

Merritt is described as a positive, upbeat team member who is always fun to work with, insightful and productive.2 He lectures, teaches, and has been a keynote speaker and design juror at various institutes, universities, and colleges.1