A Single Vision
“I am always impressed with Melissa’s knack for synthesizing a lot of competing view points into a single vision.”
Director of UX and Behavioral Research at WWT
Clarity around the ‘why’
“Melissa is incredibly dedicated to driving positive action. That manifests in understanding and providing clarity around the ‘why’ of the ask, uncovering purpose and values behind the decisions.”
Chief Digital Advisor at WWT
Ciklum/ Sep 2023 — Today / Remote
Lead Product Manager
Led strategic initiatives to develop and present executive-level solutions highlighting Ciklum’s capabilities in user research, product management, and agile delivery. Managed the design and implementation of a data platform for a major petcare brand, focusing on transforming complex data into actionable insights for improved decision-making. Conducted user research to prioritize product features and fostered cross-functional alignment on KPIs and processes to enhance product outcomes.
– Successfully launched key platform features addressing long-standing user needs and optimizing decision-making.
– Facilitated seamless collaboration across teams, reducing reporting fragmentation and improving strategic focus.
Tolam Earth/ Apr 2022 — Jun 2023 / Remote
Director of Product
Directed the launch and growth of a cloud-based environmental asset marketplace, managing product strategy and adapting to evolving market and regulatory landscapes. Partnered closely with technology leaders and engineering teams to design solutions that met business goals while navigating compliance and user needs. Developed and executed a comprehensive payments strategy, selecting vendors and ensuring adherence to financial regulations.
– Led the concept-to-launch development of a new marketplace, securing $2.5 million in initial contracts.
– Effectively negotiated and implemented technical solutions, including payments, that aligned with market demands and compliance standards.
World Wide Technology / Feb 2020 — Feb 2022 / Remote
Manager of Product Management
Spearheaded product development efforts, producing strategic plans, roadmaps and implementation plans for client initiatives. Collaborated with client product managers, technical advisors and presented to directors and vice presidents. Managed execution team 13 product managers and business analysts. Trained and mentored team and clients on product management, lean software development, agile methodologies, facilitation and story writing.
– Successfully released >40 product initiatives in collaboration with direct reports and other product team members.
– Doubled products team, adding 20 people, maintaining high-level of performance using an empathy-based, people-first mentality.
– In a pre-sales capacity, achieved 75% conversion rate of prospective clients due to successful definition of product strategy and implementation plans by aligning user needs and opportunities to client’s business goals.
World Wide Technology / Feb 2016 — Feb 2020 / Denver, CO
Lead Product Manager
Lead product development efforts, producing product strategies and incremental delivery plans, creating prioritized backlog and writing stories. Liaised between product development, marketing, business stakeholders, vendors and technical teams and presenting results and progress. Focused on continuous improvement, applying systems thinking and lean development to deliver results. Fulfilled many roles; product manager, technical product owner, scrum master, quality assurance.
– Saved >$300k for client and increased delivery speed on primary initiative by 4-6 months by rigorously examining priorities and reallocating resources.
– Increased reliability of forecasts and improved team’s throughput by 40%.
– Maintained high level of quality, ensuring quality assurance best practices, balancing risk reduction and value delivery.
– Skillfully challenged implementation by collaborating with UX, systems architects and developers to ensure the best product was delivered.
Baxter International / 02/2006 — 02/2016 / Englewood, CO
Senior Software Quality Engineer
Lead software test effort for a hardware and software system. Defined testing strategy, defining test strategy, writing test plans and test cases.
– Lead a highly cohesive 8-member test team.
– Simultaneously managed 9 projects to completion on-time or early.
– Developed structure for outsourcing testing activities that has been benchmarked by other teams.
– Collaborated with technical teams to understand test needs and providing expert feedback during design reviews.
Just want to say that most of the progress we’ve made over the last few weeks has been down to Melissa. The [technical teams] have been very impressed with her understanding of not just the [Detailed Level Design], but the importance of how the designers create their DLDs . . . Well done Melissa, very impressive.
Melissa […] promotes a high level of safety in the office. Because of her relationships with others, she is able to provide and receive feedback, even when it is not complimentary (when it’s constructive criticism). She trusts her team to get the job done, and is able to hold team members accountable when things are slipping.
Areas of Expertise
Product Lifecycle Management: Managing products from ideation through launch and iterative improvement.
User-centric
Product Development: Prioritizing user needs to create products that resonate with target audiences.
Payments & Financial Strategy: Experience in developing payment strategies and ensuring regulatory compliance in fintech solutions.
Executive Presentation Development: Crafting and presenting high-impact strategies to senior leadership and stakeholders.
Collaboration with Engineering & Technology Leaders: Ensuring technical feasibility aligns with business and user goals.
Compliance Solutions: Leading initiatives involving authentication, age verification, and regulatory adherence.
Market Adaptability: Flexibility in adjusting product strategies to align with changing market and industry trends.
Core Competencies
Product Strategy & Roadmapping: Expertise in defining product visions, developing strategic roadmaps, and aligning them with business goals.
User Research & UX Design: Proficient in conducting in-depth user research, user interviews, and translating findings into actionable product enhancements.
Agile Methodologies: Certified in and experienced with agile frameworks (Scrum, SAFe, Kanban) for efficient project execution and delivery.
Cross-functional Team Leadership: Strong ability to lead and collaborate with diverse teams, including engineering, legal, and design.
Regulatory Compliance: Knowledgeable in navigating product requirements to meet compliance and regulatory standards.
Stakeholder Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for aligning stakeholder expectations and presenting strategies.
Data Analysis & Strategy: Leveraging data to inform product decisions, identify opportunities, and measure product success.
Problem-solving & Decision-making: Skilled in addressing complex product challenges with effective solutions.
University of Colorado
Bachelor’s Degree in Science; Journalism
08/2001 — 08/2005
Certified SAFe Agilist
SAFe Agile Inc
2019
Certified Scrum Product Owner
Scrum Alliance
2018
linkedin.com/in/mbeaudette/
Website
www.advocateofagile.com
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