Panel Discussion: Managing Change as a (Design) Leader
Details
We’re excited to invite you to our leadership panel on managing change as a design leader hosted at bïrch!
Leaders today are navigating constant change: growing and reshaping teams, shifting strategies, AI-driven transformation, and increasing pressure to deliver impact without losing sight of people and craft. This panel brings together experienced product design and UX leaders to share how they’ve managed change across startups, scale-ups, and global organizations, and what they’ve learned along the way.
### moderator
Christopher Grant, Senior Design Director @ Docplanner
Christopher has led product and design teams across startups and global companies, including Tuenti, King, Preply, and Lingokids. He currently works at Docplanner, shaping AI-powered healthcare experiences for doctors and patients navigating complex clinical workflows. He has taught product and design leaders across Europe, including ESADE, EOI, School, University Pompeu Fabra.
### panelists
Kevin Hawkins, VP of Product Experience @ Monta
Kevin Hawkins is a UX Research & Product Design leader with 17 years of experience in solving complex problems and leading teams of 100+. Previously, he’s worked companies such as Glovo, Booking.com, PwC, Uber, Capital One, Gap, and more. He also serves on the board of We Create Space and runs The Common Thread supper club.
Renee Lin, Head of Product Design @ SITA
Renee is a designer and adventurer who has built products from 0 to 1 at startups and scaled high-performing teams in enterprise environments. She works at the intersection of business and design, focusing on simplifying complexity and creating meaningful solutions. For her, the true magic of Experience Design lies in its ability to create meaningful value.
Angela Pesta, VP of UX, ex-GitLab, Amazon
Angela Pesta is a UX practitioner and executive with over two decades of experience advancing the impact of user experience. Angela started her career in Silicon valley and has worked across various industries from start-ups to enterprise organizations, including Amazon, Elastic, Tesco, Wells Fargo Bank, XING, and GitLab. Angela is passionate about innovation, organizational transformation, and user impact at scale.
**bïrch **is a platform for marketers to automate and optimize digital ad performance. An official partner of Google, Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat. Based in Barcelona, bïrch also hosts events that bring the local marketing community together.
Location: Carrer de Còrsega, 211, local 4 (bïrch)
The doorbell “loc 4 bïrch” is to the left of the gate leading into the courtyard. Once inside, walk straight ahead to the last door.
To join us, just:
✅ RSVP here on Meetup
✅ Answer this form 👈
What’s Happening?
- Panel Discussion: on Managing Change as a (Design) Leader
- Interactive Q&A: Get your questions answered!
- Community Networking: Connect with fellow designers, PMs, and UX thinkers
Details:
🗓 Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
⏰ Time: 18:30–21:30
📍 Location: Bïrch
Why You’ll Love It:
You'll hear from industry leaders about topics that impact Designers and UXers at the individual, team, and org level.
🗓 Agenda:
18:30 – Door Opens
19:00 – Introduction
19:15–20:30 – Panel & Q&A
20:30–21:30 – Socialization & Fun!
Educational partner:
Interaction Design Foundation
Uxcel
P.S. Please make sure to show up on time. 🫶
If we reach full capacity, we'll not be able to let you in, even if you have a ticket! 🙏