Leading Systal’s Global Brand Refresh

Brand strategy, global identity refresh, guidelines, digital transformation, cross-functional leadership
Project Overview
As Global Head of Design at Systal, I led a complete evolution of the company’s brand—transforming it from an inconsistent, underdeveloped identity into a strong, unified global presence. This included establishing yearly brand refreshes, redefining our visual and verbal systems, and directing all creative output across digital, print, event, and campaign channels worldwide.

My goal was to build a brand that not only felt professional and credible, but one that engaged audiences, celebrated Systal’s technical expertise, and could confidently stand alongside major industry competitors such as Kyndryl, IBM, and Palo Alto.
My Contributions
Global design leadership
Brand strategy & governance
UX/UI direction
Cross-functional collaboration
Creative direction
Digital transformation
Messaging & storytelling
Multi-channel design execution
The Challenge
‍When I took on the role, Systal’s brand was fragmented and lacked a coherent voice. Multiple departments across different regions produced collateral independently, resulting in inconsistent messaging, outdated visuals, and a digital presence that did not reflect the company’s true scale or capabilities.The organisation itself was highly technical and globally distributed, which meant that aligning teams and simplifying complex content would require not just creative leadership, but operational and cross-functional influence.

‍My Role & Leadership
‍As the leader of the global brand transformation, I:

‍Directed the entire brand refresh process, including strategy, visual identity, tone of voice, and multi-channel rollout.
‍Acted as brand guardian, creating and enforcing a new set of global brand guidelines.
‍Oversaw all creative output, ensuring consistency across marketing collateral, digital content, events, brochures, social media, and global campaigns.
‍Collaborated closely with marketing, designers, and technical SMEs to translate complex services into clear, compelling narratives.
‍Worked directly with Directors, VPs, and C-level leaders across regions to align the brand with Systal’s growth strategy.
‍Ensured the refresh was scalable, supporting yearly updates to keep the brand modern, relevant, and competitive.

‍The Brand Refresh Approach

1. Strategic Brand Foundations
‍I began with workshops and leadership alignment sessions to define Systal’s value proposition, tone of voice, messaging priorities, and audience personas. This ensured the creative direction reflected both business goals and user needs.

‍2. Visual Identity Evolution
‍I developed a refreshed visual system that modernised the brand while strengthening consistency across all channels. This included typography, colour systems, iconography, illustration style, and guidance for technical content layout.

‍3. Global Brand Guidelines
‍I built a comprehensive set of guidelines covering visual, verbal, and digital standards. These guidelines unified output across regions and made it easier for global teams to deliver consistent, high-quality collateral.

‍4. Multi-Channel Creative Rollout
‍I directed all creative deliverables tied to the refresh, including print assets, product and service collateral, event materials, digital campaigns, social content, and executive communications
Leading Systal’s Global Brand Refresh
Global Head of Design
Brand strategy, global identity refresh, guidelines, digital transformation, cross-functional leadership
Major Component: Systal’s Global Website Overhaul

‍The centrepiece of the brand refresh was a complete transformation of the company website. The existing site looked outdated, lacked clarity, and damaged credibility with potential clients.My leadership included:

‍Conducting competitor analysis and market research
Defining the UX and information architecture
Leading the full UI and art direction
Collaborating with global SMEs to simplify and productise complex service offerings
Ensuring the site reflected the new brand identity and supported global growth

The six-month project resulted in a professional, engaging, and scalable global website that accurately represented Systal’s expertise and legitimacy.
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‍Additional Brand Initiative: AI Product Branding & Launch

‍As part of the brand refresh era, I also led the full creative direction for the launch of a new AI product. This included:

Early-stage collaboration with C-level leaders to define benefits, audience personas, tone of voice, and product positioning

Full visual identity development, including logo and brand systemCreative direction for all launch materials—product video, website pages, social content, infographics, brochures, event stands, merch, and morePlanning deliverables, timelines, and go-to-market creative strategy

This project demonstrated Systal’s innovation and reinforced the brand’s modernisation.

‍Outcome & Impact

‍The global brand refresh delivered clear and measurable improvements:

‍A strong and coherent global identity recognised across all departments and regions

‍Improved brand consistency, reducing time spent reworking or correcting collateral

‍A modern digital presence, with the new website strengthening credibility and client confidence

‍Stronger competitive positioning against major industry players

‍Greater cross-functional collaboration, aligning design, marketing, technical SMEs, and leadership

‍A scalable brand system, enabling yearly refreshes and continuous evolution

Ultimately, the brand refresh positioned Systal as a confident, contemporary global company capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with industry leaders.
Leading Systal’s Global Brand Refresh
Global Head of Design
Brand strategy, global identity refresh, guidelines, digital transformation, cross-functional leadership