Ivy Ross
Type of Fellow: Research Fellow
Description:
Ivy Ross is currently the EVP of Marketing for the Gap brand. Under her leadership the fully integrated 1969 denim brand was launched , nearly doubling the business as well as the recent black pants campaign which was successful beyond the companies expectations . During her time at Gap, she has created integrated digital and social media campaigns that have led her to be interviewed on NPR market place and various publications as an innovator and expert in the emerging media space. Previously, she held many executive positions ranging from head of product design and development to presidencies with several companies, including Calvin Klein, Swatch, Coach and Mattel. Both Fast Company and Business Week have chosen Ivy to represent the new face of leadership.
As an innovative entrepreneur and thinker, Ivy creates unique collaborative environments with her teams. To maximize her collaborators’ creative potential, Ivy draws upon her personal studies in a diverse range of fields, including sound vibration, quantum physics , energy medicine and living systems. Many of her methodologies, most notably Project Platypus, have been adopted not only by Mattel but also Procter and Gamble, where she serves as a member of its design board.
Ivy has been a contributing author to numerous books, including The Change Champions Field Guide and Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organizational Change. She has also been referenced in Ten Faces of Innovation, Rules of Thumb, and Unstuck among other books. In addition to writing, Ivy was the keynote speaker at the Nokia World Design Conference and Fortune Magazine’s Women Conference.
A renowned artist, Ross’ innovative metal work in jewelry is in the permanent collections of 12 international museums, including the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the Victorian Albert Museum in London and the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City. A winner of the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts grant, Ross has also received the Women in Design Award and Diamond International Award for her creative designs.