Leah McDougald Joins ZoCo as Managing Director

Two Female CEOs, One Shared Vision

Lacey and Leah bring together decades of leadership in research, strategy, and design. For years, ZoCo and McDougald Research have operated with the same core belief: experience design drives better business outcomes. Now, with Leah joining as Managing Director, that shared philosophy furthers ZoCo’s strategic advantage for our clients—it deepens the foundation ZoCo’s clients already rely on, strengthens our healthcare expertise, and expands our ability to help organizations grow, while we scale our own team and capabilities well into the future. 

“​Leah is a force, and I've admired her success as a leader in UX and research for years. As the founder of McDougald Research, she built a stellar reputation for deep insight and client partnership.​ While our journeys have long run in parallel, now they come together in a shared mission to shape the future of experience design. I've been eager to find a leader to help me reach our potential—who is as bullish on the future of UX as I am, and more importantly, who is just as ready to roll up her sleeves and make it happen. Leah is that person.” - Lacey Picazo, ZoCo Founder + CEO

Meet Leah

Leah’s career has been defined by solving complex challenges across several industries, including healthcare. From medical devices to pharmaceuticals to provider systems, she’s worked across nearly every healthcare vertical helping clients reimagine both upstream strategy and downstream execution. Her hands-on experience spans everything from sterile packaging to Bluetooth-enabled diagnostics, always with a focus on making technology and processes work better for the people who rely on them.

She brings decades of operational experience from inside hospitals and health systems (literally scrubbing in to observe devices in use!), understanding workflows firsthand, and identifying design opportunities in real time. She understands where human-centered design can drive real change, and how UX research can act as a strategic lever to de-risk decisions, unlock growth, and design solutions that work in the real world.

Her global experience leading research across Asia, Europe, South America, as well as across underrepresented regions, gives her a rare lens on how diverse contexts inform innovation. This global experience allows Leah to shape smarter, more adaptable strategies that deliver value across markets and geographies, where human centered design can transform the lived experiences of people when they need it most.  

With additional expertise across financial services, consumer packaged goods, and automotive industries, Leah brings a breadth of perspective that challenges industry norms in healthcare and beyond.

Partner with ZoCo: Bullish on Experience Design’s Future

ZoCo’s team is stacked to help healthcare organizations design smarter, scale faster, and move more boldly into their visions for the future. With Leah on board, we’re ready to help healthcare leaders turn challenges into clear, confident paths forward. 

Reach out to Leah to explore new ways we can collaborate, revisit how we might support your team, or introduce us to others who need a partner like ZoCo.