Award winning design leader and practitionier with
20+ years of experience solving complex problems for local, national and global brands.

Hi, my name is Joseph Smietanski

From graphic/web designer at the start of my career to most recently AVP of UX for General Motors Financial, my journey has been defined by one constant: the belief that great design emerges from great teams, clear vision, and unwavering commitment to business impact. I don't just lead designers—I build organizations that transform how companies connect with their customers.
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My leadership approach combines strategic vision with hands-on operational excellence. I've evolved from executing UX processes to defining them, from contributing to products to shaping entire portfolios, and from managing teams to building cultures where creativity and psychological safety fuel innovation.

Cadillac, General Motors, Chevrolet, Dominos Pizza, Fiat, and Chrysler Capital, not to mention Sony Playstation, Santander, and OSU. My most recent phase of my career was leading a team of 20 UX Managers, Products designers, Researchers, and Conversation designers where we were responsible for the design and user experience of products that touched millions of customers, including designing, redesigning, and supporting 20 websites, 3 mobile apps, and one design system across North, Central, & South America.

While the vast majority of my time was spent on leadership, management, and strategy, and meetings, and empowering team members to do their best work, I still maintain a hands-on connection the craft driven by a passion for design that is often explored outside of work hours. I’m not afraid to return to my roots, roll up my sleeves and jump into a blank canvas when duty calls.

Strategic Impact & Business Results at General Motors Financial

Joined as the third UX hire with a deceptively simple mandate: build a world-class UX department from the ground up and deliver products that meet the objectives of one of the world's largest captive auto lenders.
The Challenge: Create a mature UX practice in an organization where none existed—establishing processes, building teams, defining vision, and delivering measurable business outcomes simultaneously.

Strategic Initiatives and Outcomes
Scaled the organization from 3 to 20 talented professionals across five states, building diverse teams that consistently outperformed parent department engagement scores for four consecutive years
Matured UX capability from Level 1 to Level 3 on our defined maturity model, establishing documented processes adapted from industry standards to our unique business environment
Won 8 industry design awards over 5 years, elevating brand recognition and validating our design excellence
Drove measurable conversion improvements including 22% increase in online credit application completion and significant gains in paperless enrollment
Built and scaled a comprehensive design system from early foundations to a mature multi-brand system supporting multiple child brands under one foundational platform

Vision & Strategic Leadership

Defining the Future of UX at Enterprise Scale. Great organizations don't emerge by accident—they're built through intentional vision, clear roadmaps, and relentless execution. My work at GM Financial

Vision & Direction:
Established UX mission statement and 5-year strategic vision aligned with business objectives.
Created UX maturity roadmap that guided systematic capability development.
Defined clear annual goals that bridged user needs with organizational growth priorities.

Innovation & Future Readiness:
‍Spearheaded AI integration by building a research repository that leverages artificial intelligence
Prototyped innovative financial experiences in collaboration with General Motors for the "Chevrolet Dealership of the Future" initiative
Designed special homepage concepts pushing the boundaries of automotive financial services

Product Portfolio & Cross-Functional Leadership

Delivering Digital Experiences at Scale. Led UX design and research across B2C and B2B product portfolios, designing flagship digital properties where millions of customers manage their auto loans and leases.

Product Delivery:
‍4 mobile applications delivered (3 B2C, 1 B2B) across iOS and Android platforms
Flagship website redesigns for General Motors Financial's primary customer touchpoints
Portfolio management of multiple concurrent initiatives under tight timelines and shifting priorities

Cross-Functional Collaboration:
‍Managed engagement of four UX vendor partners, ensuring quality and alignment
Navigated organizational change, reporting to 5 different managers under 3 SVPs, 2 EVPs, and 2 CEOs
Built strong stakeholder relationships across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Executive leadership

Contact Me

Ready to build something exceptional together? Let's talk about how strategic UX leadership can transform your organization.

Download Resume