Larissa operates at the intersection of creativity and business transformation. She leads cross-functional teams that bring together design, strategy, and operations, building the infrastructure that allows creativity to scale with purpose. With over a decade of leadership experience, Larissa has guided complex, global initiatives for cultural and luxury brands, with senior roles at renowned design studios like Pentagram and Gretel. She is known for translating creative ambition into sustainable growth; building high-performing teams, implementing forward-thinking operational models, and shaping environments where creative excellence can thrive. Passionate about advancing creative leadership, Larissa mentors emerging talent, redefines how design contributes to business value, and advocates for more equitable, diverse, and resilient creative systems.
What principles guide your design decisions?
My role isn’t to make design decisions, but to create the conditions for strong design decisions to happen. The principles that guide my work are clarity of purpose, respect for craft, and accountability to outcomes, which comes through building teams, processes, and partnerships that allow designers to do their best work. Since design doesn’t happen in isolation, healthy collaboration is also key. The best work comes when strategy, operations, and creative excellence are all prioritized and fully aligned. My job is to protect that.
What trend do you think the industry is overvaluing – and one it’s overlooking?
Systems are more important than speed. The latter of which is being overvalued at the moment. Fast turnarounds often come at the expense of thinking, craft, and the sustainability of teams. What’s being overlooked is the operational systems behind creative excellence: How teams are structured, how feedback flows, how decisions are made, how designers are mentored and supported over the long term, and how design teams work effectively with cross-functional partners. The best work I see consistently comes from organizations that invest in those fundamental beliefs and values.
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