ZEF FUGAZ

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Tally Group, VP of Product – Digital (2019 – Present)

At Tally Group, I’m part of the leadership team designing, building and operating the next generation of utility retail technologies and customer experiences.

At Tally Group, we recognise that the utilitech market is undergoing a dramatic transformation.
Climate change, grid transformation, smart metering and the proliferation of new technologies will see this process accelerate. At the same time, customer expectations are increasingly shaped by the digital channels they engage with every day.

Tally Group’s customer experience is at the forefront of everything we do, providing customers with the information they need when they need it, and over their channel of choice.

SleevesUp, Head of CX Design (2016 – 2019)

SleevesUp is an ideas incubator and business builder based in Melbourne. Since the middle of 2016 Zef lead the customer experience design over half a dozen start-ups under the SleevesUp umbrella – including mobile apps, a SaaS platform and consumer websites.

Product research and design lead by his team included thrivor, a mobile app and back-office CRM for cancer patients and clinics – and Sorted Services – a global platform for home services including electricity, broadband and rent.

In addition, his team supported the company’s growing list of agency clients including a real estate firm, a telco, a quoting engine and an augmented reality platform.

Key Achievements

  • A key player in the launch of three start-ups, all on track to achieve Venture Capital Financing to enable growth into 2021 (Update: Sorted raises $5.6m).
  • Built an in-house CX team. Wrote and carried out the CX strategy, undertook recruitment, team management and programme management.
  • Marketing Manager for one of the start-ups.
  • Acting Chief Experience Officer (CXO) for Billcap (part of the SleevesUp Group) 
  • Instrumental in creating a collaborative workplace using Lean UX principles.

Head of Design, Powershop (2013 – 2016)

At Powershop (now known as Flux Federation), Zef established and directed an award-winning team of nine designers including customer researchers, product designers and graphic designers. His team boosted the company’s capabilities in design and user experience, improved customer engagement and lead Powershop to win a multi-million licensing deal in the UK.

Product evolution lead by his team included the research and design of an Energy Diary (mobile app), a new product interface (web app), a website refresh and usability enhancements to the CRM suite of tools. In addition, his team supported the company’s marketing, social media and communications, enabling campaigns to be created in-house.

Zef was also responsible for Powershop’s edgy brand. His team created an award-winning brand manual, international brand strategy and management plan to pave the way for Powershop’s brand to be licensed in Australia, the UK and Europe.

Key Achievements

  • 144% growth in customer numbers during Zef’s tenure.
  • Built an in-house Design/UX team. Wrote and carried out the design strategy, undertook recruitment, team management and programme management.
  • Instrumental in creating a collaborative workplace using Lean UX principles.
  • Initiated the production of personas, a pattern library, A/B and user testing.
  • His team’s focus on customer engagement boosted product purchases by 10% in 2015.
  • Zef’s team contributed to Powershop’s NPS score of +45 (the industry average being -40).
  • During his term, Powershop achieved a customer satisfaction score of 90% (Consumer NZ independent survey).
  • His efforts won Powershop an array of design and business awards, including the NZ International Business Awards.
  • Zef was on the strategic team who lead Powershop to win a multi-million licensing deal in the UK.

Awards

  • Winner, Excellence in Design, 2015 New Zealand International Business Awards
  • Silver, Business Communication – 2015 Best Awards (Powershop CX Manual)
  • Finalist, Moving Images, 2015 Best Awards (The Future of Electricity)
  • Finalist, Applications, 2014 Best Awards (Powershop Mobile App)
  • Finalist, Best Effect, 2014 Best Awards (Powershop Mobile App)

Experience Lead, Click Suite (2008 – 2013)

At Click Suite (an interactive agency with clients throughout Australasia) Zef produced digital experiences for a range of clients and industries including an award-winning mobile app for a startup seeking to fill a niche in the recipe market; a self-help website for consumers of alcohol; and a number of innovative interactive exhibitions featuring large-scale touch-tables, projection-mapping and augmented reality.

UX Manager, Provoke Solutions (2004 – 2008)

At Provoke Solutions (an international Microsoft Solutions agency) Zef directed a team of 10 UX specialists. His responsibilities included product development, sales, recruitment, mentoring, revenue-streams and achieving targets for the team unit. Achievements included winning the best intranet in the world, boosting online engagement for New Zealand’s top loyalty programme and helping lift a major bank’s customer satisfaction rating and numbers.

Prior to 2004

1999 – 2004: Senior UX Consultant, Fronde- Wellington, NZ
1999 – 1999: Creative Director, Spunkmedia – Wellington, NZ
1997 – 1999: Senior Creative, CWA New Media – Wellington, NZ
1992 – 1997: Producer, Radio One 91FM – Dunedin, NZ
1992 – 1997: Creative Director, Vidmark Productions – Dunedin, NZ
1988 – 1991: Assistant Editor, Tearaway Press – Whanganui, NZ

Success Stories

For in-depth case studies view my portfolio

Powershop (energy retailer)

  • NPS (Net Promoter Score): The benchmark for energy retailers as a whole is -40. Powershop’s NPS score was a stunning +45 (as at 2015).
  • Powershop’s customer satisfaction rating from Consumer NZ has been over 90% for five years running (as at 2015).
  • Powershop’s outstanding customer experience has attracted the attention of big energy retailers around the world, and launched in the UK in 2017.

Fast, Fresh & Tasty (recipe app)

  • The app reached number one in the New Zealand app store within hours of release and has reappeared there many times since.
  • Customers are using the app 13 times a month to decide what’s for dinner tonight.
  • Engagement of the app has remained intact since being in the market.

Fly Buys New Zealand (loyalty programme)

  • In the months following a redesign, visits to the site increased by 150%.
  • In addition, users were spending longer on the site, with 40% of users staying six minutes or more per visit.
  • Independent research showed that users were having a satisfactory experience during their visit and were prepared to explore the information and services on offer.
  • There was a dramatic increase in users viewing rewards, members requesting rewards, and new users becoming Fly Buys members.

Mitre 10 (trade hardware retailer)

Using my recommendations, Mitre 10 redesigned their e-commerce experience:

  • In the following months, visitor engagement almost doubled.
  • Mitre 10 also saw a substantial increase in users signing up.
  • Online sales increased.

For case studies view my portfolio
See also Awards & Recognition