Robert Arko resides in San Francisco, California where he is a partner at A+O. He focuses on helping client organizations amplify their creative resources and processes to deliver brand narratives, offerings, and experiences that engage customers and transform their business.

Robert joined Coalesse as a founding member in 2007 acting as as the Vice President of Design and Creative Director until his departure in 2014. In that role he was responsible for guiding strategy, brand and all design activities with the goal of transforming three former Steelcase Design Partnership companies into a global brand focussed on the intersection of work and lifestyle serving both commercial and consumer markets.

As the leader of the product planning function, Arko was responsible for curating the Coalesse products selected or codeveloped with external brand partners, including Carl Hansen & Son, ENEA, Walter Knoll, and Viccarbe, while owning brief development, talent selection, and design leadership of all explorative and development initiatives for the brand.

With a diverse background in design research, industrial design and strategy Robert lead his own consulting practice, between 2004-06, and was a studio lead and design director leading multidisciplinary teams at IDEO for clients in automotive, high technology, medical, office furniture, and consumer industries from 1995 through 2004. Prior to his work as a consultant, Robert was Vice President of Design at Metro, a Steelcase company where he designed and lead projects focussed on furniture, technology integration, and environments recognized with professional awards in industrial design and architectural interiors.

Robert received a BFA in Industrial Design at the Cleveland Institute of Art with further studies at the College for Creative Studies, Berkeley Extension, and the Stanford Continuing Studies Program.