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Jeff Chew

Head of AI Technology, IBM Carbon Design System

SeniorLeads from the middleHybrid schoolSystemsAIEnterprise
He's hands-on moving a major enterprise org through the AI transition by building tooling that lifts both designers and developers — elevate-not-hollow AI adoption at scale.

Signature win. Led Carbon MCP, making IBM's enterprise design system AI-aware so makers build accessible, on-brand UI ~3.7x faster inside AI coding tools.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources
CraftHolds the bar via Carbon Design System engineering — accessible, maintainable React/Web Components shipped at IBM scale, with rigorous CI/deploy-preview quality gates; framing is 'productivity without the AI slop.'8
CommunicationAuthored widely-read Carbon engineering pieces ('Automating a Design System,' Carbon Web Components v2) and articulates the system as a strategic lever, not just a component library.8
BusinessPositions Carbon as the mechanism that prevents scaling tech debt 100x; Carbon MCP shows measurable outcomes (3.7x faster workflows, 56.5% accuracy drop without it) across the IBM Software portfolio.8
EducationElevates IBM 'makers' — designers and developers alike — by delivering shared AI tooling; the people-protection framing is explicit, though evidence of direct mentorship/reskilling is lighter than the systems work.7
InnovationBuilt Carbon MCP to make a design system AI-aware (Cursor/Claude Code/IBM Bob); classic elevate-not-hollow move — AI lifts the team's output and enforces accessibility rather than replacing craft.9

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts
OverallI'd work for them64
CraftRaised my craft bar65
CommunicationMade the case for design65
BusinessMade design matter to the business65
EducationTaught me something I still use57
InnovationShowed me a new way to work73

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

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