Tey Bannerman’s career has taken an unconventional path—from writing code to designing products, leading design teams, and shaping AI strategy.
Each chapter has changed how he thinks, and together they’ve given him a unique perspective on building technology that people actually want to use.
He began his career as a software engineer after earning a degree in Computer Science. But early on, he made a decision that surprised many people: he left engineering to pursue product design. At the time, it wasn’t a common move, but he was far more interested in how people experienced technology than how it was built.
Over the next decade, he designed digital products, led multidisciplinary teams, and discovered a lesson that continues to guide my work today: the biggest challenges in technology are rarely technical—they’re human.
Building software is one thing. Building something people trust, understand, and genuinely want to use is something else entirely.
That belief eventually led him to McKinsey & Company, where he spent eight years helping organizations use design as a strategic advantage, ultimately becoming a Partner and leading the firm’s European Design Practice.
His journey into AI began in 2018, long before generative AI became mainstream. He worked alongside data scientists, engineers, and designers to develop machine learning solutions that predicted customer behavior and solved real business problems. He later led AI transformation projects across industries, from financial services to consumer brands, including some of McKinsey’s earliest generative AI initiatives.
Those experiences taught him that the sophistication of its models doesn’t define successful AI—it’s defined by how well it fits into the way people think, work, and make decisions.
Today, he works independently as an advisor, educator, writer, and builder, helping organizations create AI products that are practical, trustworthy, and human-centered. He advise executives on AI strategy, teach design leaders how to navigate AI adoption, lectures for leading institutions, and co-authored The AI Revolution, which became a #1 bestseller in Amazon’s AI category.
He also created practical frameworks such as The Four Modes of Thinking with AI and the Human-in-the-Loop Framework, which are now used by thousands of designers, product managers, and AI practitioners around the world.
Everything he creates is guided by one belief: technology should amplify human judgment—not replace it. The best AI systems respect context, embrace complexity, and solve real problems instead of simply showcasing impressive technology.
When he is not advising or teaching, he is building. He enjoys creating small tools, prototypes, and experiments that let him stay close to the craft.
Designing and shipping products keeps him grounded, reminds him what it’s like to build with emerging technologies, and ensures that his ideas remain practical—not just theoretical.
