Back to the LeaderboardThe Design Leadership Index

David Hoang

VP & Head of Design, Rovo & AI and Ecosystem at Atlassian; writer of Proof of Concept

ExecutiveLeads from the frontHybrid schoolAIProductOrg
He is an executive design leader actively building AI-native products at enterprise scale who frames the AI transition as a way to elevate designers through craft and mentorship rather than shed them.

Signature win. Built and led design for Atlassian's Rovo AI platform to GA and broad rollout while standing up Central AI Design as a cross-portfolio center of excellence.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources
CraftFirst Head of Design at Webflow, led product design at One Medical through IPO; argues leaders must 'lead through the craft' with the new AI materials, sketches his own newsletter illustrations.8
CommunicationProof of Concept newsletter (13K+ subs since 2019) plus essays like 'Design leadership plate tectonics' and 'The shape of leadership' make design and the AI transition legible to a wide audience.9
BusinessDrove PLG and rebrand at Replit (VP Marketing + Design), scaled design at Webflow, helped One Medical through IPO, and ties Atlassian's Rovo AI design to enterprise outcomes; invests in 30+ startups.8
Education[Education recalibrated toward editorial baseline] People-first thesis: 'pick one person to support and grow for the next era,' champions peer mentorship and community; built Central AI Design as a center of excellence and hires/grows AI design talent publicly.8
InnovationHands-on leading AI-native product design at scale (Rovo Chat, Deep Research, agent Studio) while framing AI as lifting designers via craft, not replacing them — elevate, not hollow.9

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts
OverallI'd work for them90
CraftRaised my craft bar86
CommunicationMade the case for design97
BusinessMade design matter to the business86
EducationTaught me something I still use86
InnovationShowed me a new way to work97

Verified peers only — one tap with LinkedIn. Names stay private; we show role and industry. Bars are illustrative until the participation backend is live.

Stories

first-hand · reviewed before publishing
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