Clara Aparisi. Innovation & Strategy Leader.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve led strategy and innovation engagements for some of the world’s most recognised organisations — across financial services, retail, and technology, in more than 20 markets.
Most of this work is under NDA. What you’ll find here is a selection of projects that illustrate how I work, the challenges I take on, and the outcomes I help create.
Selected Projects
Retail Experience Strategy
Global coffeehouse chain · APAC
The challenge
A leading global coffeehouse brand needed to understand how Gen Z customers in Asia were redefining their expectations of physical retail — and what that meant for future store design across the region.
What I did
Led a multi-market strategic research and innovation initiative across Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Working with regional stakeholders, I combined qualitative customer research, insight synthesis, and collaborative ideation to map emerging behaviours and identify strategic opportunity areas. The output was a strategic playbook for internal store design teams — a practical framework to guide the redesign of retail environments across APAC.
The outcome
The playbook was adopted by internal design teams and directly informed future store investment decisions. Following its success, senior leadership began evaluating expansion of the approach to additional APAC markets.
Oct 2024 – May 2025
Research · Strategy · Facilitation · Stakeholder alignment
Innovation Program
Financial services company · 5 APAC Markets
The challenge
A leading financial services group wanted to explore how their insurance products and services could better serve diverse customer segments across Asia — and build internal innovation capability in the process.
What I did
Designed and delivered a 3-month regional DEI innovation program bringing together 25 participants from Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The program combined customer research, journey mapping, ideation, and concept development — guiding cross-functional teams from insight to strategic proposal.
The outcome
482 ideas generated across the program. 15 concepts advanced to detailed design and presented to Senior Leadership. Top concepts selected for implementation — contributing directly to the organisation’s innovation pipeline across markets.
Sep 2022 – Dec 2022
Innovation program design · Multi-market facilitation · Executive presentation
Organisational Transformation
Leading Asian retail group · 6 APAC Markets
The challenge
A leading Asian retail group needed to embed a new set of organisational values across six markets — not as a communications campaign, but as a genuine shift in how people behaved and worked day to day.
What I did
Co-designed and delivered a regional Train-the-Trainer capability program equipping 48 internal ambassadors with the skills, tools, and frameworks to activate the company’s values within their local teams. The program combined behavioural design, facilitation training, and practical application — bridging the gap between strategic intent and operational reality.
The outcome
100% of participants reported confidence in their ability to communicate and activate the company’s values at the end of the program. The initiative contributed to measurable improvements in cross-regional alignment and established a scalable model for cultural change across markets.
Apr 2024 – Jun 2024
Capability building · Behavioural design · Change management · 6 markets
Growth Strategy & Customer Insight
Financial services · Indonesia
The challenge
A financial services company needed to understand how underserved customer segments in Indonesia approached financial security, insurance, and wealth growth — and identify new proposition opportunities based on real unmet needs.
What I did
Led a two-phase qualitative research and innovation program combining in-home and workplace customer interviews with structured ideation and concept development. Synthesized findings into 15 strategic insights highlighting emerging behavioral patterns and unmet needs, which informed collaborative sessions generating 200+ new service concepts.
The outcome
Two future service journeys developed and validated with customers, providing a clear strategic direction for new proposition development. Insights directly informed the organisation’s product and service roadmap for the Indonesian market.
Mar 2024 – May 2024
Customer research · Insight synthesis · Service strategy · Concept development
Brand & Customer Experience Strategy
Financial services · Vietnam
The challenge
A financial services provider entering the Vietnamese market needed to define how their brand should be experienced across customer touchpoints — and align internal teams around a coherent, actionable experience vision.
What I did
Led a structured brand experience strategy engagement combining customer journey mapping, insight synthesis, and cross-functional co-creation workshops. Guided 26 participants through a two-day intensive process to generate, evaluate, and prioritise experience ideas aligned with the brand’s values and market positioning.
The outcome
278 initial concepts generated and prioritised into 6 strategic brand proof points — a clear, actionable framework ready for implementation across the customer journey. Internal teams left with a shared vision and concrete next steps.
Apr 2023 – May 2023
Brand strategy · Customer experience · Stakeholder alignment · Vietnam
Innovation & Strategic Thinking Program
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The challenge
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology wanted to equip MSc Business Analytics students with practical innovation and strategic thinking skills — going beyond frameworks to develop real-world problem-solving capability.
What I did
Designed and delivered a four-month innovation program for four consecutive cohorts (2022–2025), combining design thinking, applied business challenges, and emerging topics including AI as a strategic tool. Extended the engagement beyond the classroom to include career coaching, mentoring, and industry advisory sessions.
The outcome
Invited to return for four consecutive years — expanding scope each time. Students from across APAC and EMEA developed practical innovation and strategic design capabilities applied to real business challenges.
2022–2025
Program design · Innovation education · Strategic thinking · AI · 400+ students
Clara Aparisi. 