Range and expertise are not mutually exclusive.

You’ll know them as leadership.

Señor Blanco is Stephen White, a design executive with over twenty-five years experience leading teams and creating experiences for global brands such as Pepsi, Sony, Nokia, Ford, British Airways, Nike, and Alfred Dunhill, both in-house and for agencies.

His uniqueness lies in the sheer breadth of his career and experience having worked across domains, industries, categories, and geographies. He is unapologetically a generalist and, whilst some might view this negatively, he knows it to be his superpower. 

Deep domain expertise thrives when conditions remain fixed and relatively unchanging but, the reality is, we Iive and work in a highly dynamic world where the rules and context can shift in a moment. This is where leaders from broader, more diverse backgrounds succeed by being able to think and act dynamically. That’s why you work with Stephen.

He collaborates with organisations and their leaders to strategically transform the way consumers experience their brands, build high-performing teams, and reshape culture to grow both people and business.

As an independent consultant, his clients value the focussed dialogue and thought partnership that comes with working closely with such an experienced individual. Equally, Stephen is at home operating in fractional roles where he can embed himself in a business, leading teams more directly, and creating impact from within.

Services

  • Strategic Consulting

    Works closely with businesses on design-led approaches to identifying new opportunities, developing innovative solutions, and gaining a competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace. 

  • Fractional Leadership

    Provides leadership and management to design teams on a part-time or project basis to help them improve the effectiveness of their design capability, drive innovation, and improve business impact.

  • Executive Advisory

    Works with executive leadership teams to help them understand the value of investing in design as a strategic business capability and how to make it an integral part of their long-term success.

SeLectED Projects

About

After a career spanning almost three decades, Stephen is renowned for building high-performing teams and cultures where creativity thrives, talent flourishes, and business impact is paramount. His experience across domains, industries, categories, and geographies gives him a unique perspective on the power of design and how businesses can unlock this to their success.

Most recently, Stephen was Head of Design for International Beverages at PepsiCo where he established and led an award-winning global team in the creation of multi-channel consumer experiences that drove culture and delivered results for billion-dollar brands such as Pepsi, 7UP, Gatorade, and Rockstar. Prior to PepsiCo, Stephen led teams at NIO—a premium Chinese EV brand—and Nokia. He has also built and run independent agencies in London and Los Angeles.

As a natural introvert, Stephen’s tendencies are towards listening, empathy, and a high degree of thoughtfulness. These traits, combined with his persuasiveness and a gift for storytelling, make Stephen an influential and much sought-after advisor and consultant.

Contact

Coach House, Main Street, Shipton by Beningbrough, York, YO30 1AA

+44 (0)7555 383819 stephen@senorblan.co

EXPERIENCE

Automotive Aviation Consumer Technology FMCG Luxury

Testimonials

  • Truly great product companies are defined by their ability to deliver on their promises. Stephen possesses that rare combination of experience and innate talent to consistently lead projects, people, and entire organizations in bridging the gap between vision and reality. He is unquestionably one of those exceptional leaders.

    Global Head of Design ABB E-Mobility

  • Guided by a clear, creative vision and broad, cross-disciplinary expertise, Stephen assembled and empowered an exceptional team. His inclusive, forward-thinking leadership fostered open collaboration, transformed ambitious ideas into tangible results, and consistently raised the bar for all of us.

    Global Head of Brand Haglöfs

  • I worked with Stephen on a number of projects whilst at Sony and Nokia, and was highly impressed with his level of professionalism and integrity. He approaches all projects with an open mind, but a clear and informed opinion, which leads to work which illustrates a clear benefit to both user and client.

    Nick Foster RDI Futures Designer