Izwan Ismail

Izwan Ismail is a digital and design leader with over a decade of experience across startups, scaleups, and corporations.1 He currently holds the position of Director, Head of Human-Centred Design - Transforming Customer Journey, Group Strategy at CIMB.

Professional Background

Izwan has an extensive and diverse career history:

Leadership Roles::

• Expert Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company (October 2017 - October 2019)1
• Deputy President 1 at Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia (TeAM) (October 2016 - May 2019)1
• Co-Founder and Director of Design & User Experience at VLT Labs (March 2013 - December 2017)1

Advisory and Consultancy::

• Design and UX Advisor at Supahands (November 2013 - December 2017)1
• UX Practice Lead at VLT KL (March 2013 - October 2017)1

Entrepreneurial Ventures::

• Co-Founder of ThatApp, a gamified sex education app for young Malaysians (October 2012 - June 2013)1

Early Career::

• User Experience Team Lead at CodeAr.my (June 2012 - December 2012)1
• User Experience Designer at Materialise (June 2010 - January 2012)1

Expertise and Focus

Izwan describes himself as a Human Centred Strategist with experience in digital finance.1 He is the founder of UX Malaysia and has had two successful exits as an entrepreneur.1 His approach is driven by human-centered design principles, which he applies to create sustainable impact for organizations and their people.4

Current Role at CIMB

Since October 2019, Izwan has been building a team at CIMB guided by the principles of collaboration, learning, and evolution.3 In his role as Director and Head of Human-Centred Design, he focuses on transforming customer journeys within the Group Strategy division.

Additional Insights

Izwan is passionate about communicating impact as a design leader, emphasizing the importance of engaging audiences through multi-sensory storytelling.2 He also explores adjacent spaces for B2B innovation, recognizing the increasing blend of consumer and commercial perspectives in business clients.5