Michael Thompson

Michael brings over 25 years of experience in building and leading Product, Research, and Design teams across diverse industries, including renowned companies like Apple, Business Objects, SAP, and Telefónica, as well as various startups and consulting firms. He has played a key role in driving successful innovation projects and is a co-author of several patents. Most recently, he served as the Global Director of UX at Telefónica, where he established customer research and design teams and implemented customer experience (CX) best practices throughout the organization. Currently, Michael works as a CX consultant and teaches in the Master’s program in Customer Experience & Innovation at the IE School of Human Sciences & Technology. Additionally, he instructs courses on the Business of Design and Innovation at ESNE and teaches Product Management at Universidad Europea in Madrid. Michael holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY at Albany, a master's from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MBA from the Theseus Institute (now part of EDHEC) in France.