Management bios
Gad Shaanan, CEO & Founder of GadShaananDESIGN
Gad Shaanan embodies entrepreneurial spirit. As the visionary leader of Gad Shaanan Design, Inc., Gad’s work touches the lives of people worldwide every day. His commitment to professionalism and business success is mirrored by his dedication to supporting San Diego arts and culture.Born in Israel, the son of a diplomat, Gad spent his youth immersed in a variety of cultures. Having lived in several European countries, Gad moved to Canada at the age of 13. Called to active duty by the Israeli Army, he returned to Israel when he was 18. After his discharge, he studied engineering at Concordia University in Montreal before continuing his education at the Scuola Politecnica di Disegno in Milan, where he received a degree in industrial design.
Commissioned to a number of design projects, Gad incorporated his business in 1981. Built upon the foundation of service to his clients, Gad Shaanan Design has flourished to become one of the leading product development firms in North America. The holder of numerous patents, his success is based upon a tight integration of strategic marketing, innovative design and revolutionary engineering. His firm is dedicated to helping companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, meet and exceed their business goals through new product innovation. “We create products that continuously advance our clients’ position in the marketplace by helping them make a positive connection with consumers,” says Mr. Shaanan. It is in this way that his work has become so globally pervasive. Millions of people carry Kyocera cell phones developed by Gad Shaanan Design. Passengers from New York City, to Mexico City, to Kuala Lampur, ride daily on trains thoughtfully designed by Gad’s team for their client, Bombardier. The firm enriches the lives of consumers worldwide, while continuously expanding the horizons of its clients.
After landing a number of San Diego-based clients, Gad fell in love with the climate of San Diego. His love for the city, in tandem with a desire to better serve his clients, inspired his move to San Diego with his wife and two daughters. In notoriety of Gad’s impact upon the San Diego business community, San Diego Magazine heralded him as one of the “50 People to Watch in 2003.”
In addition to his business savvy, Gad is also committed to involving himself in the San Diego community. As a supporter of the Contemporary Museum of Art, San Diego Opera and Salk Institute, he is passionate about supporting organizations that promote art and culture. Along with his philanthropic affiliations, Gad also served on the Board of Directors of the La Jolla Playhouse and is an international board member of the Salk Institute. He is also a board member for profit of New Dental Choice, a discount dental company who is first to be licensed by the State of California. Moreover, Gad serves as an advisor to a number of CEOs. He was VP of the Association of Professional Design Firms (APDF) and a founding member of the Institute of Industrial Design of Montreal. He is currently a member of the Industrial Design Society of America in both the US and Canada.
Walter Francovich, VP of Engineering
Walter Francovich, our VP of Engineering, has over twenty-five years of experience in a variety of engineering and manufacturing environments. He has engineered large capital projects and been involved in intricate research and development projects. Walter has acquired extensive structural, mechanical and plastics expertise. Prior to joining GadShaananDESIGN in 1990, Walter was a department director (engineering) in the personal computer division at Philips Corporation for over seven (7) years. Before Philips, he was a project leader at Bombardier’s Canadair division in their experimental department and worked at CAE in their simulator department.
Walter has worked on and supervised a broad range of consumer and transportation projects and holds over 38 patents. Presently he has full technical authority for the design, engineering and model shop operations within GadShaananDESIGN.
Walter Francovich is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, of ASM International, and of the Society of Plastics Engineers.
Francois Duval, VP of Design
Francois Duval was promoted in 2005 VP of Design, and is in charge of all design projects at Gad Shaanan Design. He has full authority in directing and creating the design package for each program within the contractual constraints. In this role, Francois interfaces with the engineering, market research, and prototyping/model making departments to ensure that our clients’ goals are met and kept. His expertise includes an in-depth knowledge of ergonomics and anthropometrics, understanding and implementing design for manufacturing (DFM) standards, manufacturing processes, and materials. In addition to his knowledge of the appliance and housewares market, Francois has served as the lead designer on a variety of consumer, large-scale transportation, and mass-transit projects.
Francois has proven his skills at communicating our designs to our clients and using their feedback to optimize the final product.
He started with GadShaananDESIGN in 1993 as a junior industrial designer and has progressed through to his present position. Consequently, he has developed a thorough understanding of the relationship between industrial design, engineering and product development.