Biography
With over three decades of global experience, Thierry brings a deep passion for human-centred design and innovation. His journey spans designing the passenger experience for France’s first high-speed double-decker train to building Singapore’s first national Design Thinking and Innovation Academy. Along the way, he has supported innovation efforts across Japan and Singapore, working with organisations such as ANA, Changi Airport, ComfortDelGro Group, NTUC FairPrice Group, NTUC First Campus, Mitsubishi Electric Group, Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore Post, and Total Energies.
His dedication to design that truly serves people led to his appointment as Singapore’s first Design Thinking Mentor by the InfoComm Media Development Authority—where he coached startups to create more human-centred digital solutions (and gently reminded them that users are not just data points).
hierry currently leads Atelier Modus, a strategic design practice rooted in empathy. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore’s College of Design & Engineering, where he teaches Innovation by Design. He also teaches postgraduate programmes at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (Singapore Management University).
He has served as lead juror for the Singapore Good Design Mark (Experience category) and holds a Bachelor’s in Systems Engineering, a Master’s in Industrial Design, and a Pre-Doctoral degree in Environmental Management. His work has earned accolades from the Canadian Association of Industrial Designers and Japan’s Excellent Design Award—though he still believes the best recognition is a solution that quietly makes someone’s day a little better.
Interest
In his free time, Thierry is diving into the emerging field of Innovation Archaeology—a bold new lens for designing the future by unearthing the past. This practice reclaims overlooked, shelved, or forgotten ideas—those that were ahead of their time or simply lost in the rush of trends—and examines them for fresh relevance today. He believes the future doesn’t always have to be invented from scratch; sometimes, it needs to be rediscovered, reinterpreted, and reimagined.