2026 Speakers

Tara Franz is an experienced UX Research professional with a strong background in leading research initiatives across various companies, including Meta, Earnin, Oculus VR, and Facebook. She has held leadership roles such as Director of UX Research at Meta, where she leads research on Meta Avatars and identity in the Metaverse, and Head of UX Research at Earnin. Her experience also includes managing research projects, communicating user insights, and specializing in qualitative methodology and moderation. Additionally, Tara has experience in market research, social research,  entrepreneurship and non-profit management. She has worked with clients like Rolex, Adidas, and Citi Bank, and has led non-profits like the Howe Sound Women’s Center. As a young professional leading in technology by co-founding a computer services and web development company in the late 90’s Tara knew she would be working in technology and the continuous shift and evolution of culture through technology and with the businesses that enable these shifts. It’s no surprise that her last four years have been dedicated to working on the future of the Metaverse at Meta.

Greg leads a multidisciplinary UX organization at Oracle NetSuite, driving design systems, Ai-enabled workflows, and platform-wide experience strategy. With over 20 years of experience across fintech, SaaS, and government services, he has scaled design teams, strengthened cross-functional collaboration, and delivered product innovation at both startups and global enterprises. Passionate about advancing UX leadership, Greg helps senior practitioners chart high-impact career paths beyond traditional design roles. He frequently speaks on the future of UX leadership, career progression, and how Ai is reshaping design practice and business strategy.

Dr Emmanuelle Savarit is Global Head of UX Research at a leading global food delivery platform, where she leads a strong research team of close to 30 UX researchers across 19 markets.

She brings over 20 years’ leadership experience in UX research and digital transformation across consultancy, government, finance, education, and technology. She founded Analyse Concept Ltd, delivering projects for the award-winning GOV.UK programme as well as HSBC, RBS, Adecco, IG Group, and EF Education First. Her career has since included senior roles at Thomson Reuters, the UK Department for Education, EF Education First, Facebook, Refinitiv/London Stock Exchange Group, and now a global platform in food delivery.

Emmanuelle is the author of Practical User Research: Everything You Need to Know to Integrate User Research into Your Product Development (Apress, Springer) and the forthcoming The UX Research Powerhouse: The Foundation of Strategic UX Research Leadership (October 2025). She holds a PhD in Psychology (University of Surrey), is a SAFe practitioner, GDS Assessor, and Graduate of the European Women on Boards C-Level Programme.

She sits on the advisory board of AI start-up STAI, delivers executive masterclasses on data and leadership, and hosts the UX Research Club podcast. An advocate for women in business and technology, she is pursuing the FT NED Diploma to expand her governance expertise and contribute to boards engaging with innovation and long-term impact.

Rudy Bortolini is Global Head of UX at ASSA ABLOY, where he drives the company’s global user experience strategy and maturity journey. With over 20 years in design leadership, he has built and scaled UX functions, established design operations, and introduced multi-brand digital design systems used across Divisions and teams worldwide.

At ASSA ABLOY, Rudy has positioned UX as a strategic capability, shaping principles for accessibility and sustainability while coordinating teams of designers, developers, and stakeholders. He has led the creation of best practices for UX research, including surveys, usability testing, and accessibility studies, ensuring insights are shared and applied across the organization. He has also evangelized UX at scale, developing frameworks, guidelines, and training programs that support consistent adoption and maturity growth. His work has directly supported more than 50 digital solutions, from mobile apps to transactional websites and the UX community growth from few to more than 70’s talent.

Before joining ASSA ABLOY, Rudy worked at Electrolux, where he led global design projects and delivered award-winning UI solutions for Electrolux and AEG appliances. He also directed the Product Graphic Design team, defining new visual languages, typographies, and icon systems across the global product portfolio.

Rudy holds a Master’s degree in Graphic Design from IED – Istituto Europeo di Design. Outside work, he is an audiophile, free diver, and builder with a strong passion for art, music, and craftsmanship. Rudy has also been and artist active both in Europe and in US.

Mara is a UX design leader and strategist who brings psychology, empathy, and storytelling together to create meaningful user experiences. With a background leading design for global brands like Shutterfly and Sleep Number and consulting for brands like Estée Lauder, Mara is passionate about how behavioral insights can transform the way teams innovate. She’s known for her ability to make complex ideas simple and spark conversations that connect data, design, and human behavior.

Kathryn has more than 20 years experience in marketing and UX research, digital strategy, and product design. She currently leads research for Warner Music Group, developing digital products for global recording artists, indie labels, and fans. Prior to joining Warner Music, Kathryn led Integrity Research for Instagram, where she was responsible for user safety and the AI and machine learning algorithms guiding feed ranking, search and recommendations. Kathryn has spoken on the topics of UX research, digital strategy, social media safety, and AI at universities and conferences all over the world. She is excited to discuss the Future of UX Research at UX360!

Venessa is a renowned design leader, speaker, and problem solver who specialises in creating experiences that meet business and customer needs. With a proven track record of building design practices and teams for brands such as Vodafone, Rightmove, and UK tech unicorn Cazoo, she is currently the Global UX Director at Dye & Durham. Through her blog, Venessa shares her invaluable insights and learnings on UX and design leadership.

Aryane Serconek is a Lead User Researcher at H&M, where she works to make research accessible and actionable across the organization. With over 15 years of experience in UX and consumer insights, she has helped global teams turn user understanding into meaningful design and business decisions. Aryane is passionate about empowering designers to lead research confidently, scaling research operations, and fostering a culture where insights drive decisions.

Carlos is a strategic global UX Research Leader with over 15 years of experience in UX and market research. He has experience in industries such as tech, retail, banking, and others. Carlos's expertise spans both qualitative and quantitative research, which he leverages to influence decision-making and amplify the customer's voice within cross-functional teams. He is also a dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion, actively contributing to the advancement of the Pride community.

I am a UX research leader - passionate about everything research. Coming from a multi-disciplinary background, I had the opportunity to work at different companies: startups, consultancy, large enterprises, B2B, and B2C. This has given me various perspectives on the organizational challenges UX teams face. Having a strong background in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and a deep understanding of research ops, allowed me to work with the best teams, where I fell in love with this discipline. As I've made the transition to UX leadership, I am now enjoying new challenges of building and scaling research teams. Measuring UX, amplifying research influence, and enhancing storytelling are some of my latest professional interests.

Jessica, a digital designer with over 25 years of experience, brings passion, creativity and a deep understanding of how to create exceptional user experiences to every project. With an extensive portfolio in higher education, association and non-profit clients, she now helps deliver actionable, user-centered experiences to workplace retirement plan participants. She’s driven by a dedication to simplifying complex ideas with the power of thoughtful, informed design.

Jazmin has a background in print and digital editing, content strategy, and marketing. As a UX researcher she enjoys making sense of the most complex problems and turning questions into actionable solutions. She supports the B2C and B2B digital product teams in Retirement Plan Services by delivering large-scale generative research, conducting usability studies, managing research operations and disseminating insights to the broader organization.

Madison Van Oort is a Senior UX Researcher at SiriusXM Radio, where she investigates the evolving needs of core listeners to inform product strategy and drive acquisition, conversion, and retention. Her recent work focuses on evaluating AI research tools and their impact on UX workflows. She brings several years of experience conducting research in the media and retail industries. Before joining SiriusXM, she researched AI-powered loss prevention at Instacart, contributing to the development of smart shopping carts. Madison holds a PhD in Sociology and is the author of several peer-reviewed articles and a book published by MIT Press.

Aminata Kaba is a UX Researcher at SiriusXM Radio, where she focuses on the listener experience by investigating how core users search, navigate, and discover content across the app to inform product strategy. Her recent work explores the role of AI in UX research and assesses how AI tools can support and challenge research workflows. Before shifting to the listener side of the business, Aminata conducted research on advertising and monetization products within SiriusXM Media, giving her a holistic perspective across both user and business needs. Aminata holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Morgan State University where she was a part of the Black Venture Capital Consortium as a UX Research Student Consultant.

Maryam’s journey into UX research began in science, where she earned a PhD in neuroscience studying brain and behavior. Her curiosity about how people think, decide, and act eventually led her from the lab into industry, where she now brings the same spirit of exploration to the product world. At Zooplus, she works closely with designers to create user-centered experiences while experimenting with new and innovative research approaches. A mixed-methods researcher at heart, Maryam is passionate about choosing the right method for each challenge and rethinking how research itself can evolve to better support teams and users.

Marcos Rezende is a Senior Product Designer at Microsoft Canada, focused on AI-powered experiences that improve employee engagement in SharePoint through Copilot. With 15+ years of experience, he brings a systems-thinking approach to complex challenges. Outside of work, he prototypes AI tools in real contexts, combining design, code, and model behavior to explore how emerging technologies shape user experience.

Roger Rohatgi is a visionary global design leader renowned for driving digital transformation and creating exceptional customer and user experiences. With a career spanning iconic brands like Verizon, Twitter, Hyundai, Motorola Solutions, bp, and networks such as MTV, ESPN, and NBC, his award-winning portfolio showcases achievements in sustainable and inclusive design, international film accolades, and honors like the Oracle CX Innovation Award.

A multidisciplinary innovator in design, tech, AI, TV, and film, Roger's work has been featured in Fast Company, Wired, USA Today, and Forbes. A sought-after keynote speaker, he has shared insights at forums including Harvard, MIT, Cannes, The Economist, Reuters, and the UN Goals House on topics ranging from CX, AI, and the metaverse to sustainability to DE&I. Beyond his creative accomplishments, he serves as an Advisory Chief Design Officer for Design For Good, leveraging the power of design to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and create meaningful impact.