Joanne Heyob

As the Senior Vice President of Operations Strategy & Design at WD Partners, Joanne is a visionary leader and a driving force in her field. With over 25 years of experience, she excels in creating innovative growth strategies that propel brands forward. Joanne’s passion for transforming the guest experience and optimizing operational efficiencies continues to shape the future of retail, making her a sought-after thought leader in the industry, with extensive speaking engagements at prestigious industry events such as Restaurant Spaces, Shoptalk, and Google. 

Joanne leads a dynamic operations team that serves as a key differentiator in the company’s comprehensive service offering. Her team specializes in developing new concepts for front and back of house operations across various verticals, conducting operations assessments, providing labor recommendations, and executing logistical mapping. 

Joanne’s strategic insights and collaborative approach make her an invaluable liaison with the strategy & insights, brand & design, and architecture teams. Her unique perspective enables WD to deliver innovative solutions through meticulously crafted, business-right executions. 

During her tenure at WD, she has collaborated with prominent brands including Shake Shack, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Sweetgreen, Wawa, and White Castle. She is a pivotal contributor to WD’s influential blog, Wayfind, and has authored numerous insightful POVs. Before joining WD, Joanne held pivotal roles in major retail organizations such as Express, Frontgate, The Limited, and Victoria’s Secret.