Overview
Sarah DaVanzo serves as Global Chief Innovation Officer and Head of Strategic Services & Foresight at Porter Novelli, leading a 100-person global strategic services team across four continents [1][2]. DaVanzo describes their approach as "Exotic Thinking," which combines foresight, AI, strategic imagination, innovation, and curiosity to address problems conventional thinking cannot solve; product solutions developed through this methodology have generated more than $1 billion in revenue [2]. DaVanzo has built innovation practices across 22 countries and 4 continents, spent 20 years abroad, and worked 50 percent of their career in emerging markets [2]. DaVanzo holds an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School's Senior Executive Programme of South Africa [11], a Professional Certificate in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston [12], and has completed training in Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Tech & Exotic Science at Singularity University [13]. DaVanzo serves on advisory boards for NWO.ai and Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve [6][7].
Profile introduction
HELLO. I'm Sarah (aka Sassy). “Exotic Thinking” describes what happens when foresight, AI, strategic imagination, innovation, and curiosity converge to solve problems conventional thinking cannot. Product solutions born from this have generated more than $1B in revenue. I've built innovation practices across 22 countries and 4 continents, spent 20 years abroad, and worked 50% of my career in emerging markets. A global lens grounds everything I create. At Porter Novelli, I lead the Innovation Engine: a 100-person global strategic services team on four continents delivering intelligence/data/A…
Career history
- Global Chief Innovation Officer, Head of Strategic Services & ForesightSep 2024 to presentPorter Novelli
- Fast Company Executive BoardMay 2026 to presentFast Company
- Rolling Stone Culture CouncilMay 2023 to presentRolling Stone Culture Council
- AI Advisory BoardJan 2024 to presentNWO.ai
- AI Advisory BoardJan 2024 to presentFaith Popcorn's BrainReserve
- Chief Consumer Engagement & Activation Officer (CXO)May 2023 to Sep 2024Pierre Fabre Group
- Chief Data Office (CDO) (AI, Analytics, Insights, Foresight & Innovation)Apr 2022 to Sep 2024Pierre Fabre Group
- VP, Consumer & Market Insights & Foresight (Research & Innovation)Dec 2016 to May 2022L'Oréal
Education
Senior Executive Programme of South Africa, Executive MBAHarvard Business School
- Professional Certificate in Strategic Foresight (In Progress) at University of Houston
Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Tech & Exotic ScienceSingularity University
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