Building a culture of customer-led experimentation
A multi-year transformation shifting PVH from intuition-led decisions to an insight-driven experimentation culture across brands, markets and teams.
Starting from zero
When I joined PVH in 2016, experimentation had no part in the product development process. Decisions were guided by opinion rather than evidence, insights were fragmented and teams were operating with a wholesale and retail mindset. There were no OKRs, no prioritisation model and no structured way to understand real customer behaviour.
We needed more than a testing tool. We needed a way of thinking that centred insight and learning.
Leadership Intent
Experimentation has always been something I believed in — the ability to learn from customers in real time, reduce guesswork and bring clarity to complex environments. My intent was to introduce experimentation not as a one-off initiative, but as a foundation for how decisions were made
“Insight creates alignment. Alignment creates momentum.”
How the program evolved
1. Foundations: Building belief
Introducing experimentation began with mindset. Testing was unfamiliar and often mistrusted. Early experiments were small but revealing, challenging assumptions and showing what was possible.
I created CX Show & Tell, a monthly ritual where we shared insights and ideas through storytelling and simple design. Attendance grew from a handful of people to sessions that could no longer fit into a meeting room.
2. Acceleration: Bringing in the right expertise
To build maturity faster, I made a strategic decision to bring in an external agency. They provided the expertise, focus and structure we did not yet have internally, accelerating our progress.
We aligned CX, product, content, data and business teams through shared frameworks and rituals — shifting conversations away from opinion and toward customer insight.
3.Integration at scale: Evolving ownership
As the program grew, ownership needed to evolve. We transitioned from a CXO-driven model to embedding full-stack experimentation within product teams. I led the definition of roles, governance and integration, protecting velocity while enabling teams to take ownership.
Letting go of centralised control was the hardest moment — but it enabled long-term scale and maturity.
Across these phases, we shaped a repeatable rhythm for insight, experimentation and implementation — a cycle that helped teams learn, align and deliver value more consistently.
Impact
Impact
Millions in incremental revenue driven by experiment-led improvements
Faster and more aligned decision-making across teams
Increased experimentation velocity year over year
Broader adoption across and outside of Ecommerce; in merchandising, marketing and business teams
A shift from intuition to insight
A cultural turning point captured in:“We cannot launch this until we test it.”
Reflection
This work taught me that transformation is built through repeated storytelling, structured rituals and consistent behaviours. My design background shaped how I led, by creating experiences that inspired people, making complexity accessible and bringing energy into the work.
We went from no experimentation to a shared culture of learning, driven by insight and experimentation.
