Marzia Aricò & Andy Polaine
LEADERSHIP RENEWAL
6-8 MAY 2027 PALERMO
Step out of the noise.
Reclaim your Leadership.
Design Leadership coaches, Marzia Aricò and Andy Polaine, invite you to spend three days in Palermo, Italy, for a leadership renewal.Connect with other senior design leaders in an intimate group, share your experiences, discuss, debate, eat together, enjoy some leftfield inspiration, and take part in facilitated coaching and peer-to-peer exploration.
The warmth of Italy. The clarity of coaching.
We know from our coaching experience that design leadership can feel surprisingly lonely. You are often the only person among your peers with a design background. Your calendar looks like Tetris, and you juggle two identities: design and business. Somewhere along the way you lose your mojo and the thread of your own story, with few safe spaces to share your experiences, hopes, fears and concerns.Perhaps you are also at a crossroads: leaving a role, between roles, or quietly wondering whether it is time for something different. Transitions can be the loneliest moments of all, when the old story no longer fits and the new one hasn’t yet taken shape. It is a time for letting go of what no longer serves, and holding on to what does.You spend your days looking after everyone else. We offer you the warmth of an Italian-style family gathering, with the insight and respite of our coaching practice.This is time out to focus on yourself and re-centre, whether you are staying, leaving or still deciding. You will leave with a clearer head, less noise, and more confidence and energy about what comes next.
6-8 May 2027
Palermo, Italy
Fee is €1,350 plus VAT.
This will be a small group of maximum 20 participants.
Hosted at the Museum of the Cities of the World.
The Museum of the Cities of the World in Palermo is an unconventional "non-museum." It explores global urban culture, architecture, human rights, and the ways people inhabit modern cities. Installations feature works by international artists and collectives such as Millo, MP5, Seb Toussaint, and Motorefisico. We will use the library and the garden for our activities.
Your hosts.
Marzia Aricò is a leadership coach, author and public speaker. She operates at the junction of design, organisational transformation, and AI. Marzia pushes executives to treat AI as an amplifier of judgement rather than a shortcut. Her work centres on building systems where customer evidence, data, and design inform choices at every level of the enterprise.She has supported global companies such as adidas, JPMorgan Chase, Xero, and Gucci. With a PhD in organisational studies and a background in strategic design, she is known for embedding design as a governance capability inside complex organisations. She is the author of “Design Leadership Chronicles,” and the founder of Design Mavericks.
Andy Polaine is a design leadership coach, educator, speaker and writer who helps clients transform their organisations and themselves. For several years he worked at Fjord where he was APAC Regional Design Director.He is co-author of the book, Service Design: From Insight to Implementation and has over three decades of experience in design and innovation with clients across a broad range of industries. He holds a PhD from the University of Technology, Sydney and teaches on the MA Service Design at the Hochschule Luzern, Switzerland. He writes a popular newsletter called Doctor’s Note and hosts the Power of Ten podcast.
The programme.
Thursday
Arrival & Welcome
17:00–22:00Ease into the retreat and into the group.Welcome dinner hosted by Marzia and AndyGuided conversations to get to know each otherSetting intentions and framing the days ahead
Friday
LETTING GO
09:30–18:30Reflection on where you are atExperience with artist Raffaele Salvoldi part 1Understanding what once served us, letting go of what no longer doesCrafting and refining your own leadership storiesPeer feedback, iteration, and reflection
Focus: finding your narrative and making it land.
Saturday
Stepping into your power
09:30–22:00Walk-and-talk coaching conversationsExperience with artist Raffaele Salvoldi part 2Clarity on agency, blockers, and next stepsPersonal commitments for the months ahead
Focus: reclaiming momentum, confidence, and direction.
A carefully designed leadership experience.
Guest.
Beauty, whether a historic building, a landscape or a human relationship, is never permanent. It lasts only as long as someone chooses to care for it, and its fragility is what makes us responsible for it.Raffaele Salvoldi creates ephemeral architectures: imaginary skylines made of tens of thousands of modular wooden elements, stacked without glue or supports and held together by gravity alone. His spires, domes and towers echo Antonelli, minarets, Gothic cathedrals and the great buildings of the East. No structure follows a fixed design. A sketch suggests the silhouette, and the dialogue with space, light and material decides the rest.Raffaele will guide participants through a process of building and letting go, working with frustration, resilience and the need to reinvent oneself.
6-8 May 2027
Palermo, Italy
Every structure is temporary. So is the way you lead. Come to Leadership Renewal to let go of what no longer holds and build what comes next. Save your spot.Fee is €1,350 plus VAT.
What’s included
Your participation includes three days of coaching and facilitation led by Marzia Aricò and Andy Polaine, access to the Museum of the Cities of the World throughout the retreat, and all programme materials. The retreat also includes one curated, tailored experience with artist Raffaele Salvoldi, designed as integral parts of the leadership work. Light breakfasts are provided each morning, as well as a shared dinner on the first evening.
What’s not included
Accommodation and transportation to and from Palermo are not included. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and lodging. We are happy to help you arranging your travel and accomodation. Reach out!
Still have questions? Get in touch.
© Marzia Aricò & Andy Polaine 2027