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Dave Lee
CEO Planday
Dave Lee is a customer-obsessed, future-minded CEO with extensive experience in product development and leadership across multiple industries. Here's a comprehensive overview of his professional background:
Current Role
Chief Executive Officer at Planday (May 2023 - Present), based in the United Kingdom. At Planday, he is leading a team focused on delivering exceptional experiences for shift-based workers worldwide.12
Professional Experience
Previous Leadership Positions
-
Chief Product Officer at Lunar (August 2021 - May 2023)
- Led Product and Experience Design teams for a Nordic-focused FinTech scaleup
- Launched multiple product lines including Crypto, Invest, Budgeting, and Payments
- Managed a team of less than 50 across the Nordics
-
SVP Product Development & Customer Experience at IKEA (September 2019 - August 2021)
- Customer Domain Product Lead
- Built and led cross-functional product development team of over 1,000 employees
- Achievements:
- Tripled online revenues
- Increased online Happy Customer Score by 25%
- Launched innovative digital products and technologies
Earlier Career Highlights
- Product Director at HarperCollins Publishers
- BBC.com Board Member
- SVP Product Development at Vibrant Media
Leadership Philosophy
Dave Lee is known for a human-first, outcome-oriented leadership approach. He emphasizes:
- Customer centricity
- Data-informed decision making
- Innovation and digital transformation
Recent Advocacy
In a recent interview, Lee highlighted the importance of work-life balance in the hospitality industry, particularly for younger workers. He advocates for:
- Predictable scheduling
- Mental health awareness
- Providing visibility into work patterns3
Education
- Graduated from Queen Mary, University of London
- Holds a BA in English Literature1
Highlights
Reflecting on an Incredible First Year as CEO at Planday
As I celebrate my first year in the role I wanted to take a moment to reflect and share some key lessons I've learned along the way. While we've had many successes, there's always room for improvement. Here are my top takeaways:
- Balancing Fixes with Praise
In any senior role, you're often brought in to address issues, but that doesn't mean everything is broken. Focusing solely on areas needing improvement can erode trust. Lesson: Recognize and celebrate what's working well alongside addressing areas for growth.
- Communicating with Clarity
People really are unique, they perceive and interpret information differently based on their experiences and biases. I have learned that simply communicating a message to the company isn't necessarily enough to ensure understanding. Lesson: Communicate your message in various ways and repeat it frequently to foster collective understanding.
- Highlighting Stability Amid Change
In our drive to implement change, we sometimes overlook the importance of reassuring our teams about what remains constant. Without this, people can feel overwhelmed and resistant. Lesson: Emphasize what will stay the same to provide stability and comfort during transitions.
- Balancing Listening and Action
Finding the right balance between listening and understanding with acting decisively and at speed is challenging. However, erring on the side of understanding is crucial to maintain team support. Lesson: Take the time to understand issues thoroughly by actively listening to your team, then move forward with clear and decisive action at pace.
- Building a Support Network
Leading can be a lonely journey and you need to find ways of supporting yourself for sustainable effective leadership. Having a collective set of advisors to lean into both inside and outside the business is essential for those moments when you need it, and you will need it! Lesson: Hire a coach, find a mentor, and build a support network of people you can trust when times get tough.
As we continue to grow and evolve at Planday, I remain committed to learning and improving. A huge thankyou to everyone on the team for bearing with me on this journey. Here's to many more years of success and growth together! #Leadership #CEO #Reflection #Growth #ContinuousImprovement #Teamwork
Celebrating 20 Years of Planday! Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone - our 20th anniversary! It is with great pride and gratitude that I reflect on the incredible journey Planday has embarked on. Over the past two decades, we’ve grown from our co-founders vision in a Danish bar to a global leader in workforce scheduling solutions.
Firstly I'd like to thank our loyal customers who entrust us with their workforce management needs, which especially in the hospitality industry, can be unique and complex. Your support and feedback have been invaluable, helping innovate our product and shape our services.
I also want to express my deepest appreciation to each and every member of the Planday family - past, present and future. Your dedication, hard work, and commitment have been the driving force behind our success. Along the journey we’ve faced challenges, embraced innovation, and achieved some incredible milestones, together. As we celebrate this significant anniversary, I look back with pride and look forward with excitement for the journey ahead. Together, we will continue to innovate, grow, and deliver on our vision of ‘making shiftwork more human’.
Here's to the next 20 years of collaboration, success, and making a positive impact across the industry together. Thank you to all of our customers, people, and partners for being a part of the Planday journey. 🙏
