Doni Tso

Design & Development Director for Outdoor Equipment at Canadian Tire Corporation

Led a team in developing products for WOODS, Outbound, Huntshield, Yukon Gear, Ripzone, and Helly Hansen, contributing to over $200M in annual revenue. Built and scaled design teams, streamlined development processes, and driven innovation in price-sensitive markets while maintaining quality and technical excellence.

Design and Development Director for Outdoor Equipment at Canadian Tire Corporation

Led a team in developing products for WOODS, Outbound, Huntshield, Yukon Gear, Ripzone, and Helly Hansen, contributing to over $200M in annual revenue. Built and scaled design teams, streamlined development processes, and drove innovation in price-sensitive markets while maintaining quality and technical excellence. Projects ranged from tents, packs & bags, stoves, lighting, sleeping systems, coolers, snowshoes, wetsuits, personal flotation devices, snowboard bindings, and goggles.

Design Director at Nitro Snowboards

Collaborated with global sales teams and professional athletes to define the creative direction and design strategy for Nitro Snowboards' softgoods line. Led end-to-end development from conceptualization and trend analysis to global sales meetings, product execution, and high-impact photoshoots, ensuring a seamless transition from vision to market-ready technical products. Projects ranged from outerwear, apparels, headwear, handwear, packs & bags, socks and graphic direction.

Creative Lead at Lululemon Athletica

Partnered with the VP of Design to shape the foundational architecture of a rapidly expanding men’s accessories line within a $41B global brand. Drove seasonal innovation by strategically integrating color, trend forecasting, design ethos, and material development to craft a cohesive product offering. Traveled overseas each season to oversee development.

Sr. Designer / Segment Design Manager at Daymen Group (Lowepro, Acme Made)

Led design for Acme Made and Lowepro electronics carry and protection brands. Drove innovative design solutions through seasonal partnerships with Apple and elite professional photographers, ensuring industry-leading functionality, aesthetics, and performance. Projects included device carry and protection for cameras, laptops, and tablets; attention to materials, load/weight distribution, comfort, and fit.

Sr. Designer / New Product Development, Armor/PG at BAE Systems

Designed and developed ballistic armor, riot gear and new ballistic materials. Mentored and led junior designers. Projects included design of suspension systems for load carrying and investigation of new materials for end user comfort and protection; ballistic vests (concealable and external), modular ballistics for both human and K9.

Sr. Designer / Hardgoods Department at Mountain Equipment Co-op

Responsible for 30% of MEC-branded product sales. Design and development across hardgoods; trend forecasting, technical specifications, patterning/prototyping, production QC. Team leadership and cross-border sourcing experience (Asia and Europe).

Sr. Designer / Hardgoods Department at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC)

Responsible for 30% of overall MEC branded product sales. Design and development, trend forecasting, technical specifications, patterning/prototyping, production QC. Team management and process development. Global sourcing experience across Asia and Europe (China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia). Ethical materials & manufacturing sourcing; preliminary audit and third-party audit setup.

Creative Director at The Pharm Design Group

Led multi-disciplinary teams across global locations, translating product vision into market-ready solutions. Defined and executed design ethos for diverse clients, integrating consumer insights to drive innovation and market relevance. Spearheaded conceptual development with strategic direction while mentoring design teams through every stage of the product development lifecycle.