My Story
My career has been spent at the intersection of innovation and commercialization. As a Google Ventures-backed startup founder building early APIs for ecommerce to a P&L owner and Head of Global Product Strategy at a Goldman Sachs-owned company exiting through IPO. I've seen different approaches to creating value, some brilliant; others far from brilliant. Critically, I developed a sharp eye for what works in a company and what could be much better.
Translating complexity into simplicity
As a young staffer in the U.S. Treasury I was at the table while major, world-shaping issues were debated, including a global financial crisis and complete overhaul of the US banking system.
I learned to create compelling, relatable stories from abstract concepts
Building winning strategy
In the Strategic Planning Group, part of the Office of then CEO, Ken Chennault, our mandate was to identify opportunities ahead of the market, and where we were off course.
I was taught a framework-based approach to analyze information and make sound judgement with market-moving implications.
Going from 0-1
As a founder/CEO I left my corporate job to start an API company. We were part of TechStars, got investment from Google Ventures and were included in Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 100 most innovative companies.
I learned how to generate business momentum from nothing, handle existential corporate risk, and identify talent on which to build a business.
Driving change & taking risk
As the first VP of Product Strategy at Dow Jones, I rejected an incremental approach to product development, and convinced the executive team to risk a complete rebuild of the subscription journey. We delivered 20% lift in conversion in just six weeks.
Effective organizational change requires left and right brain excellence and well-thought out risk management.
Going from 10-100
Hired as the first product leader after acquisition by the NYTimes, I was tasked with charting a path from product market fit to scale. Everything needed to mature- from our approach to prioritization to the rigor of our A/B testing.
Process is not always sexy but it adds higher gears to the innovation machine when speed is essential.
Navigating Transitions
The shift from private to public company required many changes to our operating systems and decision-making. As a P&L-owner with 100 people on my team, every client and colleague needed to be considered.
In times of change, there is no such thing as over-communication. Ambiguity hurts organizational confidence and opens the door to error.
Bringing it all together
After working in such a diverse set of companies, I have a wide and deep well of experiences to bring to client business challenges.
Flexible playbooks, a nose for B.S., and empathy help me be an effective advisor and change agent. Let's discuss whether I can help your company innovate faster and with more impact.