About Me
I’m a senior IC-track product leader with strong technical and business backgrounds. Motivated by building high-value, differentiated, products and aligning cross-functional teams towards achieving clear strategic objectives.
I started my career in finance and business development, then transitioned into growth-oriented marketing, focusing on user acquisition and conversion optimization. Technical marketing work led me to frontend development, where I spent five years building digital experiences at IBM iX, and Aroundhome, before moving into product management.
Currently, I’m a Senior Product Manager at Staffbase, where I own Social and Community feature development within the App / Intranet group. I work closely with senior engineering, design, and business stakeholders to define product vision, strategy, and roadmaps, and to align priorities across teams. My objective is to create business value by increasing employee engagement via deep understanding of user needs, informed by user research and close collaboration with stakeholders.
Previously, I owned Staffbase’s external comms product, taking it from proof-of-concept, to closed beta, and open beta until a strategic pivot away from external comms. Before that, I was Product Lead at mobileJobs, where I launched two products and collaborated closely with GTM leadership, resulting in new customer acquisition. I also led product due diligence for M&A.
I hold an MBA from EDHEC Business School and a B.S. in Finance from California State University, Los Angeles. I’m also a PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®).
I'm committed to staying on the IC track in senior or staff / lead product management roles that don't have direct reports.
In my free time, I like to read 📚, write ✍🏾, hike 🥾, do sports 🏋🏾♂️, take pictures 📷, travel 🛫, and socialize with misfits 🤡.
Technical Skills
Experience
Staffbase
Senior Product Manager
Building Staffbase’s Social and Community offering with a talented group of engineers, product designers, and stakeholders. I work closely with senior engineering, design, and business stakeholders to define product vision, strategy, and roadmaps, and to align priorities across teams. Previously, I owned Staffbase’s external comms product, taking it from proof-of-concept, to closed beta, and open beta before a strategic pivot away from external comms.
mobileJobs
Product Lead
Led the product org, reporting to the COO. Wrote the product vision. Created the product strategy. Aligned leadership on product launches aligned with a strategic pivot. Story-mapped features via insights from analytics and UX research. Aligned stakeholders on a roadmap prioritized by strategic fit, user, and business value. Launched two products leading to new clients.
Aroundhome
Frontend Developer
Developed modular, accessible, features for modern React (16.8+) apps using JSX, Styled Components, and JavaScript (ES6+). Upgraded a client-side application's API consumption from v2 to v3. The upgrade improved DX and code quality. Maintained Aroundkit, the company's design system. Set up A/B tests. Experiment learning led to higher conversion rates. Championed the introduction of Mob Programming and organized a successful test session.
Level Up and Launch
Study Sabbatical
Planned to take two months off to level up my React skills and then get a job working on a SPA full time. Extended my time off due to COVID-19. Besides React, I taught myself TypeScript, Node + Express, MySQL, TDD, npm scripting, and project configuration.
IBM iX
Frontend Developer
Collaborated with designers, developers, TPMs, and POs to solve problems for Airbus, Hyundai, Swiss Pearl, Baloise, and Auswärtiges Amt. Developed modular, accessible, features for web apps using HTML5, SCSS, and modern JavaScript (ES6+). Presented features to clients and other stakeholders during sprint reviews.
Career Foundry
Study Sabbatical
Took 11 months off to teach myself how to code. Completed a three-month, full-time, coding boot camp at Career Foundry covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, and Ruby on Rails. Built a responsive, interactive, portfolio website using Bootstrap. Built an e-commerce site using Ruby on Rails.
Fetch
Account Manager
Created media plans for Nokia (HERE), Bild, Viewster, and Aeria Games. Managed branding, direct response, and re-targeting campaigns. Prepared post-campaign reports that quantified ROI for clients.
Stilnest
Head of Online Marketing
Responsible for digital marketing strategy and conversion optimization. Led a team that increased the overall conversion rate by 300% in four months. Rebuilt the paid marketing setup from scratch (Facebook, Adwords, Google Analytics).
Bonial International Group
Mobile Marketing Manager
Launched the U.S. shopping app, Retale, in late 2013. Built the entire mobile marketing setup from scratch with one other person. Managed mobile advertising campaigns across a diverse range of user-acquisition channels including Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Bing, and a host of ad networks.
Madvertise
Account Manager
Sourced external sales leads via networking and desk research with a focus on performance advertisers. Assessed reach and negotiated pricing (CPM, CPC, CPI) for mobile advertising campaigns (standard banner, rich media, and video) with new and existing clients. Managed campaigns from IO to final billing. Successfully grew revenue from several accounts by 100% or more.
Hydra Digital Holdings
Business Development Consultant
Evaluated the global "Smart TV" industry, which included an analysis of key players, products, and technologies. The report was used to brief prospective investors and shortlist potential strategic partners. Analyzed historical sales data, market research reports, and macroeconomic data to forecast "Smart TV" sales and installed base through 2022. The forecast was an integral part of the firm's pitch to potential investors.
EDHEC Business School
MBA
Completed an intensive international MBA program based in Nice, France. Went on study trips to the UK (London) and South Africa (Cape Town). Led a team of six MBA candidates through a business plan competition; pitched Sophia Antipolis VCs. Mentored peers seeking career changes into corporate finance.
Confecciones Gold Medal
Productivity Consultant
Designed the UX and performance reporting functionality of the company’s proprietary order tracking system. The system passed client audits required for the initiation of a key strategic partnership. Revamped cash budgeting and forecasting procedures. Extended the firm's cash planning horizon from one month to several months, which allowed the firm to slash interest expenses related to short-term borrowings.
Digital Domain
Financial Analyst
Coordinated all planning, forecasting, and budgeting processes. Worked closely with line managers to develop realistic revenue and cost projections for their units. Assessed the internal and external business environments and each business unit's historical performance. Prioritized key risks and opportunities. Presented findings to the VP of Finance and the CFO. Produced the financial plans for the expansion of the firms operating facilities into Canada and the launch of the firm's "Mothership" business unit. Both projects were successfully launched in 2010.
Lionsgate
Marketing Coordinator
Coordinated media planning, media buying, and administration activities related to the marketing of widely released feature films (e.g. Rambo, Saw IV, The Eye, Why Did I Get Married?). Monitored, analyzed, and adjusted theatrical marketing budgets for 20+ feature films.
Trust Company of The West (TCW)
Credit Mortgage Group Intern
Assisted CDO specialists conducting monthly surveillance of 200+ CDO holdings by collecting and analyzing data from various trustee and manager websites. Created ad hoc reports utilizing various rating agencies’ data sources and major investment banks’ research resources. Maintained an Access database of weekly trading data.
California State University, Los Angeles
BS Business Administration
Conducted self-directed research on fixed-income securities, specifically CDOs, CLOs, and other credit derivatives. Self-directed research included working one on one with a professor who was formerly the Chief Investment Officer of Payden and Rygel and completing an internship on the CDO desk of Trust Company of the West (TCW). Earned a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance and security analysis.
Santa Barbara
Moved to Santa Barbara. Took a bunch of classes at Santa Barbara City College to figure out what I wanted to do. Continued partying like it was 1999. Inadvertently earned Associate's degrees in Economics, Business Administration, and Liberal Studies. Moved to Los Angeles to study finance.
San Francisco Bay Area
Grew up in the East Bay. Played American Football, Baseball, Basketball, and ran track (I was a sprinter). Worked a bunch of retail jobs. Partied like it was 1999. Was elected "Biggest Party Animal" by my class for our Senior Year yearbook. Somehow graduated high school. Had no clue what I wanted to do with my life.