IDEO Appoints Design Luminary, Venture Innovator and IDEO Alumnus Michael Peng as Chief Executive Officer To Spearhead Growth

Current CEO Derek Robson to assume a new role within kyu Collective

IDEO, the global design company, announces the appointment of Michael Peng as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective June 2, 2025. Peng returns to the company after five years of transformative work at Moon Creative Lab, a venture studio established by global trading and investment company Mitsui & Co. His leadership will bring a unique blend of human-centered creativity, multicultural fluency, thoughtful collaboration, and strong business acumen.

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Mike Peng joins global design company IDEO as its next CEO in June 2025 (Photo: Business Wire)

Derek Robson, who has served as IDEO’s CEO since 2023, will move to a new group-level role focused on expanding collaboration within kyu, a collective of creative companies of which IDEO is a member. Robson’s work has reset IDEO’s foundation and primed the company for an exciting trajectory of growth. This timely transition sees design and venture pioneer Peng stepping in as the next CEO, a strategic appointment led by Robson.

“In Mike, we’ve found a leader whose brain, heart, courage, curiosity and design mastery make him the ideal match for IDEO’s evolving ambitions and an exceptional fit as the next Chief Executive Officer,” says Robson. “His return represents a reconnection with IDEO’s roots and a launchpad for its future. I’m looking forward to working with him.”

With a background in neuroscience, Peng is currently the Chief Creative Officer at Moon Creative Lab, where 11 ventures were successfully launched into the market. Prior to joining Moon, Peng was a Partner at IDEO. During his tenure of nearly 14 years at IDEO, he worked across diverse industries and global markets; fostered multicultural team collaboration; and helped establish the design research discipline in the New York office. He also opened and led IDEO Tokyo and co-founded D4V, Japan’s pioneering venture capital firm for early-stage startups.

Peng says: “I’m excited to be rejoining IDEO at a time when human-centeredness is needed more than ever in the technology-forward world that we live in. My most recent experiences in bringing new ventures to market have shown me the impact we can create in the world by utilizing emerging technologies through the lens of design. I’m eager to bring everyone together at IDEO to push the boundaries of design and help our clients and partners achieve market leadership and success.”

Michael Birkin, CEO of kyu adds, “Derek has restructured, stabilized, and explored new possibilities for IDEO. Now with Mike stepping into the role of CEO and Derek looking to unlock opportunity across kyu, IDEO is poised to accelerate its offerings, impact and growth.”

Commenting on the transition, David Kelley, co-founder of IDEO and Stanford University’s d.school, says: “I want to thank Derek for his dedication and look forward to the continued contributions he will make in his new capacity. Welcoming back Mike feels like a homecoming, and I’m thrilled to have him take the reins and shape what’s next for IDEO.”

For more information on this announcement, visit www.ideo.com/futurebydesign.

About IDEO

IDEO is a global design and innovation company. The company partners with organizations to tackle complex challenges, uncover new opportunities, and create meaningful and positive impact across business, society, and culture. From designing iconic products and services to crafting new ventures, to building creative capabilities within organizations, IDEO’s work is rooted in empathy and experimentation. Part of kyu, a collective of strategically curated creative organizations, IDEO has offices in the US, UK, and China. Learn more at www.ideo.com.

About Michael Peng

Michael Peng is a design and innovation leader who spent over a decade at IDEO (2006-2020), where he worked with a diverse range of Fortune 100 clients, helped grow IDEO’s global presence, co-founded the Tokyo studio, and launched D4V, Japan’s first early-stage design-focused venture fund. He became an IDEO Partner in 2017 and was appointed to the board of IDEO.org in 2020, a role he continues to hold. Mike is currently Chief Creative Officer at Moon Creative Lab, where he guides the development of new ventures and leads Moon Media, a storytelling initiative exploring creativity and entrepreneurship through film. A committed educator, he has taught at esteemed institutions including Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID), New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and The University of Tokyo. Mike holds a degree in cognitive science from the University of California, Berkeley.

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