As CEO of SYPartners, Jessica leads business transformation fueled by humanity, creativity, and purpose—both for our clients and for SYP. She is responsible for shaping the vision, strategy, and contributions of SYP to a rising generation of employees, clients, and changemakers. 

Since joining in 2013, she’s worked alongside CEOs at AARP, Ageas, Airbnb, Eileen Fisher, Hyatt, the Obama Foundation, Ralph Lauren, Starbucks, Tory Burch, UnitedHealthcare, and WW (previously Weight Watchers).

Previously, Jessica held executive positions at design and consulting firms, where she advised CEOs and executive teams on global brand strategy and culture change. She began her career in public policy, working with the City of New York, Ford Foundation, and think tanks.

A graduate of Cornell University, Jessica has attended executive education at Harvard Business School and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences on whole-human leadership, beautiful business, creative audacity, and purpose-driven growth. She’s a New Hampshire native who has lived more than 20 years in New York City, a student of sound meditation, and is prototyping “agile parenting” at home to the bemusement of her rascally teenage son.

Recent media:

Fortune Brainstorm Design 2022: A declaration of interdependence
Emergent leadership: A conversation series on love, power, and leadership
House of Beautiful Business, Designing for structural love in organizations
LinkedIn, Building iconic companies of the future
Fortune, The design challenge of hybrid work
Liminal leadership: An exploration in six acts
House of Beautiful Business,The Human CEO
On the Way to New Work, #159 Podcast mit Jessica Orkin, President SYPartners New York
Press release, Announcing our new CEO, Jessica Orkin
Journal of Beautiful Business, Swept Away, So Close.
Psychology Today, Can We Please Stay in This Space a Bit Longer?
Forbes, President Of SYPartners Explains How Practicing Design Thinking Transforms Company Culture
Adobe 99U, How Deep Listening Can Help You Be More Creative
Quartz, The Way We Portray “Old People” is Hurting Them at Work