“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
Patricia L. Raufer is an Innovation Strategy Executive and Educator who has led foundational transformation initiatives in payments, digital media and travel industries.
Her diverse background includes marketing, product and technical positions at Citigroup, Rosenbluth International, Interactive Solutions, Prodigy Services Company, Catalog Media Corp. and TWA. Patricia combines her expertise in business, technology and design to conceptualize, develop and launch products and services that have led to game-changing innovations in consumer networks.
In recent work in her consulting practice, Patricia defined flows for ecosystem and stakeholder participants to establish the Future State Operating Model as Subject Matter Expert for Tech Par Group. Patricia created a commercialization model to facilitate speed to market for a payments solutions provider focused on small to medium sized businesses as Subject Matter Expert for Protiviti. Patricia provided client company stakeholder perspectives for a payments network creating a digital product targeting Affluent Millennials as Subject Matter Expert for Deloitte engagement. Patricia recommended and implemented e-commerce solutions to establish the Minimum Viable Product for a subscription model for an AARP start-up.
Patricia’s prior work includes roles at Citi including Citi SVP / Director - Product Development & Design. Patricia launched the award-winning Citi Premier Pass / Citi Thank You Cards combining two consumer platforms — payments and airline systems. She launched EMV chip cards and developed the Citi 2G Card prototype for Pay with Points rewards redemption at point-of-sale. Patricia played a leading role in developing the digital channels for the Citi AAdvantage Cards. She also implemented innovation processes including iterative development for select initiatives and created solutions with significant impact to the Citi Cards business. Patricia’s prior transformation experience includes being part of the launch of online services while at Prodigy Services Company. Patricia was also a member of the team that validated the viability of consumer-initiated travel transactions for Sabre’s Travelocity pilot.
As an Adjunct Professor at Jefferson University Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce and College of Architecture and the Built Environment, Patricia works with undergraduates in the “Systems Thinking & Sustainability” course (Fall 2022) focusing on systems dynamics and stakeholder perspectives to establish models addressing climate change and sustainability, providing solutions in the circular economy. “Ethnographic Research Methods,” (Spring 2023 / Fall 2022) provides students with tools, techniques and best practices in qualitative and quantitative methods, enabling students to investigate and analyze a contemporary social issue, consider community impact and ethical issues and discuss findings in research project reports and presentations. Patricia also taught “Finding and Shaping Opportunity” (Fall 2021) focused on entrepreneurial studies and commercial viability and “Innovation Essentials” (Spring 2020 / Fall 2020) focused on design, prototypes and business models. Patricia conducts seminars as Adjunct Professor for the Power Up Your Business Program supporting neighborhood entrepreneurs in initiative led by the Community College of Philadelphia and funded by the City of Philadelphia. Patricia also served as an Advisory Board Member for Design Thinking @ Rutgers — Center for Innovation Education.
Patricia’s recent article, “These Times Demand a Complete Mind” published by Techonomy.com (October 1, 2020) addresses the importance of the arts and sciences as well as systems thinking and mental models in education. Patricia has presented on a variety of topics including “Can User Experience Make Payments Disappear?” and “AI and Ethics in Financial Services” for NYPAY, a forum for innovation in payments and mobile commerce. She co-led the seminar “Design Thinking and Design Doing for your Business: Delivering Competitive Advantage for the Experience Economy” at the Executive Forum Leadership Conference May 2019.
Based on her recognition of the importance of design as a competitive differentiator, Patricia completed her Certificate of Design at Parsons School of Design | The New School, New York, NY in 2008. With her belief that the digital marketplace would have significant impact on the way we work and consequently for business markets, Patricia completed her MBA in Organizational Effectiveness at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 1993. Patricia also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University.
Patricia attended the UN Intergenerational Dialogues on Sustainable Development Goals (August 2017) focused on intergenerational innovation. She is a also member of the Activist Network for the Hunger Project, a philanthropy aimed at addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goal to end world hunger. She also serves on the Brands & Trends Special Interest Group of the Executive Forum, a professional organization of C-suite executives from a broad and diverse range of companies, industries and functional disciplines.
Patricia has traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, Russia and the Middle East. Patricia resides in Weehawken, New Jersey and vies for the title of “Favorite Aunt” to 28 nieces and nephews.