eBay CEO John Donahoe named John Maeda the Chair of the new eBay Inc. Design Advisory Board. He will report directly to Donahoe. eBay said little about the new board, stating that Maeda was uniquely qualified to help eBay Inc. drive design innovation “in the commerce revolution to create step-change in product experiences our customers love.”
eBay said his role at the company would complement his new position at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, which announced his impending arrival on Wednesday.
The VC firm said Maeda was breaking new ground as its first Design Partner. “In his capacity as Design Partner, Maeda will work with KPCB’s entrepreneurs and portfolio companies to help them build design DNA into their company cultures. Maeda will lead KPCB’s Design Council, a group of preeminent designers across the industry. He will also support the firm’s efforts around the KPCB Design Fellows program, which nurtures the next-generation of design talent in technology.
Maeda resigned from the Rhode Island School of Design on Wednesday. Previously he served as associate director of research at the MIT Media Lab. He is on the boards of Sonos, Quirky, and Wieden+Kennedy, and on the Davos World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership.
You can find eBay’s announcement on the eBay blog.
