About Stevan

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Stevan D. Jones
Fractional Chief Scientific and Innovation Officer (CSIO)
The Proper Group Executive

Stevan D. Jones, PhD, is an innovation strategist, consumer goods R&D leader, and culture builder with 30+ years of experience helping organizations translate unmet consumer needs into market-leading products and measurable business outcomes. He blends deep scientific rigor with executive leadership to deliver superior products at speed—while strengthening IP portfolios, modernizing workflows, and elevating team capability.

Across roles at Procter & Gamble and Dassault Systèmes (BIOVIA), Stevan has led global teams, scaled new R&D hubs in the UK, US, India, and Singapore, and pioneered digital R&D transformation—integrating modeling, simulation, and AI/ML with physical lab work to compress cycle time and improve product performance. His work spans haircare, skincare, deodorants, and cosmetics (including brands like Pantene, Olay, Secret, Old Spice, and Wella) and extends into adjacent industries through enterprise platform innovation.

With 40+ granted patents and a career of category-defining launches, Stevan is known for precise problem definition, evidence-based decision-making, and building cultures where creativity and diligence coexist. He partners seamlessly across science, marketing, operations, and finance to ensure innovation is not just novel—but repeatable, scalable, and commercially meaningful.

At The Proper Group, Stevan leads fractional CSIO engagements, guides digital R&D transformations, builds consumer-driven innovation pipelines, and aligns IP and operating models to growth strategy. He also designs and facilitates workshops that embed rigorous problem-definition and creative thinking across teams.

Stevan is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and serves clients nationally and globally.

Innovation & R&D Strategy

• Translate qualitative unmet consumer needs and opportunities into quantitative technical requirements and roadmaps to consumer delight
• Embed precise problem-definition methods to de-risk bets and focus resources
• Design innovation pipelines and portfolio prioritization frameworks that accelerate wins
• Build IP-forward strategies that create durable, sustainable, robust market advantage
  

Global R&D Operations

• Digital Transformation - modernize labs and workflows; integrate virtual (modeling/simulation/AI/ML) + real (lab) capability
• Redesign stage-gate processes for speed, efficiency, quality, and regulatory readiness
• Scale international hubs and cross-functional teams with clear governance and KPIs
• Vendor/platform selection (ELN/LIMS/PLM) and multi-million-dollar P&L stewardship
  

Fractional Executive Leadership

• Fractional CSIO engagements for transformation, growth, or turnaround periods
• Executive coaching for R&D, product, and operations leaders
• Change management and culture programs that institutionalize creativity and rigor
• Board/leadership alignment to tie innovation to business outcomes
  

Product Development & Market Expansion

• Consumer-driven technology and product design from concept to launch, with claim-supporting evidence
• Strategic partnerships and co-creation networks (universities, startups, suppliers)
• Monetization strategies for platforms, technologies, and IP portfolios
• Measurement systems and success criteria for impact: speed-to-market, efficiency and productivity, quality, and ROI

📍 Based in Cincinnati, OH – working nationally and globally
🗓 Book a complimentary consultation
📧  sjones@theproper.group