About

I design products, systems and customer experiences that scale — connecting strategy, operations and execution to drive real growth.

I design products, brands and experiences that scale —
connecting strategy, design and execution to drive real growth.

I’m a Product & Experience leader working at the intersection of product, brand and commercial growth.

I’ve spent my career building and scaling customer-facing products and businesses — from global transformation programmes to founder-led startups.

What differentiates my approach is operator experience. I think beyond interfaces into growth systems, operational friction, scalability and long-term customer value.

I’m a Product & Experience leader working at the intersection of product, brand and commercial growth.

I’ve built and scaled products from concept to national brands.

I bring that operator mindset into every project — combining strategy, design and execution to create work that performs.

Most products don’t fail because of technology — they fail because strategy, design and execution aren’t aligned.

My work focuses on connecting these disciplines — turning product into a driver of growth, not just a delivery function.

  • Tommy speaking at Nomensa Conference
    Tommy Toner on a panel at Connected North
    Tommy Toner and Sarah Howells
    Tommy Toner presenting at Cuckoo Conference
    Tommy Toner in a workshop

Experience summary

My experience spans global brands, startups and scale-ups — including Nissan, Formula 1, Sky and The National Trust.

I’ve worked across product strategy, UX/UI, brand and design systems — helping organisations align experience with business goals and deliver consistently at scale.

My experience spans global brands, startups and scale-ups — including Nissan, Formula 1, Sky and The National Trust.

I’ve worked across product strategy, UX/UI, brand and design systems — helping organisations deliver consistent, high-quality experiences at scale.

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How I work

I’m typically brought in when product needs to become a stronger driver of growth — whether that’s defining strategy, improving execution, or helping teams operate more effectively.

I work across the full lifecycle, from early-stage thinking through to hands-on delivery — ensuring ideas translate into high-quality, real-world outcomes.

Designing for intelligent systems

I’m increasingly interested in how AI and automation can improve customer experiences, operational workflows and decision-making — particularly in products where complexity and scale create friction.

My focus is less on AI as a feature, and more on designing systems where automation, human judgement and customer experience work together effectively.

Areas of interest include:

— AI-assisted workflows
— Operational automation
— Intelligent customer experiences
— Data-rich interfaces
— Copilot-style systems
— Scalable service operations

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What makes
me different

Most product and design leaders have only operated inside delivery environments.

I’ve built and operated businesses myself — which changes how I think about product, prioritisation, systems and performance.

I focus on outcomes: growth, conversion, retention and long-term value.

That perspective allows me to connect:

— Brand and product
— Vision and execution
— Design quality and measurable impact

The result is work that doesn’t just look good — it performs.

Selected experience

2010 - Present

Various Agency & Global Brands

Senior Design, Strategy & Consultant Roles

Freelance design and experience director partnering with leading London agencies including Publicis, Digitas, AnalogFolk, B-Reel, Imagination and Output. Led product, platform and experience design across complex digital systems for global brands including Formula 1, Sky and Jaguar Land Rover — helping organisations simplify complexity, improve scalability and create more effective customer experiences. Focused on turning ambitious ideas into high-quality, commercially effective digital experiences.

2020 - 2025

Cuckoo

Co-Founder & Chief Product Experience Officer

Co-founded Cuckoo Broadband, scaling from idea to national brand and acquisition by Fern (Octopus) in under two years. Led product, design and experience — building a category-defining proposition that drove rapid customer growth in a traditionally low-trust market. Remained in an executive leadership role post-acquisition, overseeing product, design, technology and marketing through a period of sustained growth and transformation.

2018-2020

Nissan

Design Director, Global CX Transformation

Global Design Director at Nissan, leading digital customer experience design across 190+ markets. Defined and delivered scalable experience frameworks, aligning product and design with global business strategy. Drove consistency, quality and performance across a complex, multi-market ecosystem.

2025 - Present

The Local

Co-Founder

Alongside consulting, I’m building The Local — a modern retail brand focused on curated, experience-led commerce. It reflects my belief that product, brand and experience should be designed as one system — not treated as separate disciplines.

I’m particularly interested in working with teams building ambitious products — where experience can become a real competitive advantage.

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