February 24, 2023

Dana Arnett and Kevin Bethune Interview Kunal Kapoor

Kunal Kapoor, CFA, is Chief Executive Officer of Morningstar.

VSA’s Dana Arnett and dreams • design + life CCO Kevin Bethune sat down with Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor on their podcast, “The Design of Business | The Business of Design.” Before assuming his current role in 2017, Kunal served as president, during which time he was responsible for product development and innovation, sales and marketing, and driving strategic prioritization across the firm.

Dana, Kevin and Kunal discussed the role of design in transforming the way investors interact with financial data—for deeper insights and more personalized strategies.

“One of the beautiful things about Morningstar and one of the reasons I was drawn to it was this notion of design, technology and research coming together,” said Kunal. “It really spoke to me and demystified something that seemed far more complicated than it ultimately was.”

Kunal revealed that design can be a powerful engine of growth—a problem-solving tool that improves how an organization operates and the benefit it brings to its customers. At Morningstar, it’s woven into the fabric of nearly every touchpoint, from how it designs its offices to its product managers and designers working side by side, to designing a brand architecture that ties a through line from the organization’s roots to the present day.

“We're all creatures of habit,” Kunal said. “Part of the role of design is to help evolve how we think about those habits.”

“The Design of Business | The Business of Design” is a podcast from Design Observer, now in its 10th season. Dana Arnett and Kevin Bethune co-host the show, exploring how design works within complex organizations to shape decisions and processes, drive innovation, evolve products and services, and more.

Click here to listen to the episode and learn more about this Design Observer podcast.

Dana Arnett

Dana Arnett

Chairman & Founder

For nearly four decades, Dana has been a guiding force behind VSA’s creation of brand programs, digital and interactive initiatives, and marketing solutions for its diverse roster of world-class clients. After serving for many years as VSA’s CEO, Dana guides the strategic growth of the agency in his current role as Chairman and Founder. Since founding VSA with Robert Vogele, his career has been steeped in design leadership, policymaking, business and brand consulting, and a long record of public service. He has been recognized internationally by multiple organizations for his contributions to design and design thinking, including the Smithsonian Institute. In 2016, Dana worked with the State Department under the Obama administration to brand and launch Spark, the first-ever government-led global entrepreneurship initiative. Dana is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, a recipient of the AIGA Medal, and a former board member of the Architecture & Design Society at the Art Institute of Chicago and Project&. He recently served as National President of the AIGA and currently stars as the co-host of Design Observers’ The Design of Business | The Business of Design podcast.