The company has good potential, but the design function does not appear to be evolving as quickly as the industry, especially now when AI is rapidly changing product design and team workflows. There seems to be a gap in strong design leadership and management maturity.
In particular, tenure alone should not be the main reason for someone to lead a design team. Design leadership requires not only product design skills, but also the ability to coach designers, set clear direction, raise standards, and build a strong design culture. At times, the role can feel more focused on individual contributor work than on leading and developing the team.
A more experienced design leader could help the team move faster, improve quality, and create a clearer vision for how design should grow within the company.