Johnny Michaelsen

Johnny Michaelsen

Director of DesignOps & ResearchOps at Wise | DesignOps Leader | ADPList Mentor

Johnny Michaelsen is a seasoned DesignOps and ResearchOps leader with over two decades of experience enabling high-performing design teams to deliver exceptional digital products. As Director of DesignOps & ResearchOps at Wise, he drives operational excellence across global product and research organizations, building scalable systems that empower designers, researchers, and cross-functional teams to focus on what they do best—creating impactful experiences.


Throughout his career, Johnny has led DesignOps functions at industry-leading organizations like Skyscanner and Wunderman Thompson, where he built frameworks that improved collaboration, efficiency, and team health. He is also the London Chapter Co-Lead for DesignOps Assembly, and an active mentor on ADPList, committed to supporting the next generation of design leaders.


Johnny brings a practitioner’s mindset and a strategic vision to every engagement, bridging the gap between creative delivery and operational excellence. He speaks frequently about maturing DesignOps functions, scaling teams, and the evolving role of Ops in product organizations.


Donation Methods

If you liked what you got from Johnny, feel free to donate to him by using either of the methods below

Event Schedule

Our Events Schedule Plan

12.30 PM - 2.30 PM
Schedule Day 01 - First Sessions with Kate Towsey & Maddalena Zampitelli

Mushroom Kingdom

Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom! Our kickoff talks that turn design into real impact.

3.30 PM - 4.45 PM
Schedule Day 01 - Second Sessions with Odette Jansen & Noelle Lansford

Yoshi Island

Yoshi Island dives deeper into UX challenges. Master design systems and stakeholder communication.

5.00 PM - 6.15 PM
Schedule Day 01 - Final Sessions with Jeremy Miller & Jennifer Blatz

Bowsers Castle

Bowser's Castle Final frontier! Master networking and face challenges that unlock your greatest UX potential.

  • 1:45PM - 2:30PM
Workshop from Amanda Gelb
  • 1:15PM - 1:45PM
Sponsored talk from Condens
  • 3:30PM - 4:00PM
From Invisible to Irresistible
  • 4:15PM - 4:45PM
Beyond the Application
  • 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Panel Talk
12.30 PM - 2.30 PM

Green Hill Zone

Green Hill Zone - Accelerate your UX career! Master AI-era portfolios, strategic decisions, and impact metrics.

3.30 PM - 4.45 PM

Labyrinth Zone

Labyrinth Zone - Navigate complex UX challenges! Master stakeholder influence and workload mindset strategies.

5.00 PM - 6.15 PM

Final Zone

Final Zone - Ultimate UX challenge! Master AI personality design and instant conversion optimization fixes.

  • 1:45PM - 2:30PM
Workshop from Nina Weber
  • 1:15PM - 1:45PM
The AI map
  • 3:30PM - 4:00PM
Building a customer-centric culture
  • 4:15PM - 4:45PM
User Centric Product Development
  • 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Panel Talk
12.30 PM - 2.30 PM

The Temple of Time

The Temple of Time - Sacred space for deep UX wisdom! Explore solo business, non-traditional careers, and research.

3.30 PM - 4.45 PM

Gerudo Desert

Gerudo Desert - Where resilient UX thrives! Learn systems wisdom from trees and pioneer research foundations.

5.00 PM - 6.15 PM

Hyrule Castle

Hyrule Castle - Strategic UX pinnacle! Master systems wisdom and transform organizations through design thinking.

  • 1:45PM - 2:30PM
Workshop from Jeremy Miller
  • 1:15PM - 1:45PM
Panel Talk
  • 3:30PM - 4:00PM
Greater Good
  • 4:15PM - 4:45PM
From Chaos to Clarity
  • 5:30PM - 6:30PM
The Invisible Rules of UX Careers
Sponsors

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