Design Leadership at WEX
My Journey at WEX: 5+ Years of Growth and Innovation in Product Design
Introduction
Since joining WEX in 2019, my career in product design has been defined by growth, innovation, and impactful contributions in benefits software. I’ve had the privilege of shaping digital experiences that impact over 20 million benefit account users. This journey has been more than a collection of projects—it’s been a continual evolution, marked by key achievements and valuable lessons learned along the way.
Career Progression
2019: Embarking on the WEX Journey
I started at WEX as an Individual Contributor, eager to apply my UX skills to the complex world of benefits software. From day one, I was immersed in challenging projects that pushed me to grow both creatively and technically. I was responsible for the redesign of 1 portal and started working on feature updates in another portal.
2020: Rising to Leadership
After just a year and a half, my dedication and innovative approach to UX design were recognized with a promotion to a leadership position. This new role allowed me to not only continue hands-on design work but also to guide and inspire my small but mighty team of 2 as we managed design work across 3 platforms on web and mobile applications.
2022: Growing My Team
After increased demand for UX design partnership across the organization, our team has continued to grow. Through a company acquisition of Benefit Administration software and a design team reorg, we restructured our design team to help manage the workload. As a result, my team grew to 4 direct reports within Benefits and grew to manage 5 benefit portals.
Today: Leading a Dynamic Design Team and Benefits Design Strategy
Presently, I manage a team of 5 talented UX professionals. Together, we tackle 20-25 efforts annually ranging from large scale redesigns to smaller efforts, driving innovation and user-centric design in benefits software solutions. Our work impacts millions of users, simplifying complex processes and enhancing the overall experience of managing benefits across 5 portals on web and mobile platforms.
The Numbers
20M
benefit accounts managed in our ecosystem
5
direct reports working remotely (Brazil and US based)
20-25
design efforts managed every year within the benefits line of business
5
years of growth and leadership learning and evolution
Key Achievements
Throughout my tenure at WEX, I've had the opportunity to lead several transformative initiatives. Here are four key projects that showcase the breadth and impact of our work:
Using AI to create an intelligent Benefit Assistant
Lead UX Designer
Creating a trusted AI product for consumers with a long term vision for innovation in benefits software.
View Project
Designing a Modern HSA Investment Solution
Lead UX Designer
Empowering HSA consumers to grow their health savings accounts with modern, user-friendly tools for investing in stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds
View Project
Driving adoption and utilization of HSAs
Lead UX Designer
A decision support tool created to easily educate HSA and non-HSA participants about the benefits of an HSA.
View Project
An Analytics Solution for HR Admins to Drive Engagement
Lead UX Designer
Delivering powerful insights to admins, helping them drive growth, improve retention, and optimize benefits management with ease.
View ProjectPersonal Growth and Lessons Learned
My years at WEX have been transformative, both professionally and personally. Here are some key lessons and areas of growth:
Balancing Vision and Execution
Learning to think strategically while still being able to roll up my sleeves and contribute to hands-on design work.
The Power of Empathy
Deepening my understanding of user needs and how to translate those into effective design solutions through the Product Operating Model.
Leadership Through Trust
Developing a leadership style that empowers team members to take ownership and innovate.
Navigating Complexity
Honing my ability to simplify complex systems and processes for end-users without losing necessary functionality.
Data-Driven Design
Strengthening my skills in using data and analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.
Continuous Improvement
Embracing the mindset of lifelong learning, consistently seeking out new tools, techniques, and feedback to enhance both my skills and the design process.
Awards and Key Presentations
President's Club Nomination
SPARK 2022 Presentation
SPARK 2023 Presentation
SPARK 2024 Keynote and Presentation
In the Words of Others
The following quotes were pulled directly from performance evaluations and reviews I have received during my time at WEX.
2019
"Elizabeth, who joined us in August, is another key addition to our young and growing team. She was an immediate asset on the Health business, applying her agency background to quickly ground herself in current projects while also focusing on understanding the business at large. I am excited about the design potential she brings to the team."
- Chris D.
2020
"Elizabeth is a role model within the team for both task management and design file organization. She always brings a friendly and supportive attitude to every new challenge and instills confidence in her stakeholders. Known to be reliable and committed to her tasks, delivering quality work on time. Her UX work in all three portals; Employer, Consumer and Administrator has been outstanding and her efforts have won over the trust and enthusiasm of her development partners. A big win! Elizabeth stays true to our UX process and her partnership with our UX Research colleagues on the HSA Contribution Optimizer project is resulting in a highly intuitive, user friendly tool for our Consumer Portal."
-Chris D.
2021
"All of Elizabeth's partners rave about her work and attitude. She is a pleasure to work with (that’s coming from both your design team and external partners). She's a creative talent, organizational whiz, and a key member of our UX team!
-Drew K.
2022
"Elizabeth's contributions to our team organization and processes have been inspired and critical for our ability to retain quality and rapid delivery during a period of rapid growth. She is a strong emerging team leader, has navigated our reorg, providing support and stability to her team through this transition."
- Eulah S.
2023
"Elizabeth has made great strides in shifting her role. She is leaning into, and influencing, strategy and as a result becoming a valued contributor to the Line of Business. This is demonstrated by her inclusion in key conversations and her deep understanding of the Benefits space, key players and priorities. Her team models collaboration. The team is tight, organized and actively promotes a culture of rapid prototyping and experimentation. Her focus on organization pays big dividends for the ability of her team to deliver with time for ideation."
- Eulah S.
Looking Ahead
As I reflect on these five years at WEX, I'm incredibly proud of what I have accomplished professionally, and excited about the team I have helped build. The world of benefits software is constantly evolving, providing new challenges and opportunities in UX design. I'm committed to continuing this journey of innovation, always striving to create digital experiences that are not just functional, but truly transformative for our users.