The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), together with the Rotman School of Management, have announced that Peter Aceto, President and CEO of Tangerine, and Steve Beauchesne, Co-founder and CEO of Beau’s All Natural Brewing, have been named Canada’s DesignThinkers of the Year. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, November 4 at 4:30 pm as part of the 2016 DesignThinkers Conference at the Sony Centre in downtown Toronto, in the presence of over 1,500 design professionals, students and others from the creative industry. Tangerine is dedicated to helping Canadians live better lives by helping them make smarter decisions regarding their money. “We’re trying to redefine what a bank means in the lives of Canadians, and we’re starting with the client experience,” said Aceto. “We approach design thinking with a deep empathy for the challenges our consumers face.” The bank is now looking toward international expansion, and leading their strategy with design thinking principles.
Beau’s is a family-run, organic, independent brewery established in 2006. The family creates unique craft beer, conceived with consideration for the environment and local communities, and delivered with a sense of friendliness. “Design, as far as I’m concerned, is a way to translate your ideals and values into something people can touch and see and hold,” explained Beauchesne. “The correlation between design and success is so tied together. It’s impossible to separate them.”
Now in its fourth year, the DesignThinker of the Year Award program recognizes Canadian corporate leaders who use design and innovation to solve business problems and drive growth. Past recipients include: Larry Rosen, CEO of Harry Rosen Inc.; David Labistour, President/CEO of MEC; Michael Emory, President/CEO of Allied Properties REIT; and Stephen Alexander, founder of Cumbrae’s.
