I pushed through an unusual circumstance during an interim reorg in which the design team was placed under engineering leadership. I was quite apprehensive with how that could affect the design process.
It is not commonly thought that engineering leadership can be the success factor for designing uniquely elegant solutions and a superior user experience.
It so happened that this seasoned VP of engineering had a keen sense for UX design, and arranged his schedule to participate in the ideation phase. This collaboration led to the most notable wins the product achieved in its evolution.