Practiced Product Leadership.

Practiced collaboration in product design and management leadership with analytical strategy, design and delivery.

Stellantis

Samsung

United Airlines

ADP

T-Mobile

Marriott

Caterpillar

Northeastern U.

Amway

Dow Chemical

Prudential

Firestone

Duke Energy

Merck

CenterPoint

CVS Pharmacy

Stellantis Samsung United Airlines ADP T-Mobile Marriott Caterpillar Northeastern U. Amway Dow Chemical Prudential Firestone Duke Energy Merck CenterPoint CVS Pharmacy

TL; DR: 15 Years of Executive Leadership Results, C-Suite reporting

Appling product transformation, design and AI/IoT application delivery, my last six years have been in executive leadership. Studying leadership, ethics, and business strategy in an iMBA to manage teams efficiently and effectively.

  • 15 Years of leading enterprise software and app teams. Certified in Google Project Management, AI/LLM Business Implications, Forrester CX-II and CX-II business masters, University of Illinois (iMBA track) Business Leadership and Strategy certifications, Artificial Intelligence LLMs, and currently working on my Six Sigma yellow belt.

    Experience in all industry verticals with an emphasis in commerce and wellness: financial, hospitality/travel, and health.

  • Marketing Commerce Leadership: Led Samsung NA .COM, CRM, and CX channel strategy and delivery, increasing 11% YoY online orders. Drove strategic delivery of Amway’s app and $8.9 BN omnichannel e-commerce transformation on journey blueprinting and roadmaps with UX/UI design, content, and search lifting revenue by $313MM.

    Omnichannel Journey Orchestration: Mapped multiple N.A. Stellantis (Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Maserati) OEM marketing BUs to unify owner communications planning.

  • Global Enterprise EX App Leadership: Product design managed 13 applications for United’s global operations, improving operational efficiencies 6% (1.6MM) by prioritizing and reducing defects in agile releases with zero downtime and zero error distruptions for 3 years. Research drove agent change management for measured CX lift.

    EX Enterprise Product, Platform Transformations: Stood up and led United’s enterprise agile UX team with 27 on-time releases per year on three “core” operational applications. Migrated United off of legacy desktops to be the first “mobilized” airport CSR workforce in the U.S.

  • Global Design System Playbooks: Consolidated T-Mobile’s In-store and Digital into a single digital product, saving 2.2MM in support.

  • Enterprise Customer Success Transformation: Led Marriott’s sales center loyalty product transformation (42M users) that adapts to customer needs with Marriott’s product portfolio; upping room occ. to 72% and maximizing target wallet share.

    Salesforce Enterprise PLMC: Directed global research for a new, integrated Caterpillar Salesforce dealer management (B2B2C) experience.

  • Item description

“I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”

- Brené Brown

Passion with compassion:

Bringing teams together on a customer-focused approach to orchestrate amazing product experiences.

Executive Leadership

Omnichannel Commerce Design with Analytics

Reporting to the SVP, I’ve delivered richer experiences from analytical customer and engagement data on global brands. I have been optimizing omnichannel commerce and product experiences by leading teams on projects including Samsung, Amway and Stellantis. I developed the first-ever Publicis omnichannel workflow/ops practice framework as the architect and author of customer journey Pivotal Moments which orchestrated multiple channel and product teams for consistent, branded experiences. Identified opportunities from business models with strategic CX marketing research for executive leadership consensus approvals on enterprise projects.

  • Implemented end-to-end strategy development, center-of-excellence workflows, growing team 2.2x (app, commerce, CRM notifications, chatbots) including strategic evaluation AI tools, generative AI creativity, and team OKR frameworks.

  • Inspire, talent development of teams with strategy and design best practices training, driving ~17% efficiency in speed to market. Promoted “Above expectations” performance for three consecutive years; $23.7MM in organic revenue.

  • Developed five maturity tool assessments; and nine product standards to scale teams. Evaluated MarTech AI integrations.

  • Managed Samsung’s NA (517MM visits) e-commerce product management teams with eight product launch plan(s) with user experience with segmentation metrics strategy for $54.6 MM revenue lift. Organic ROI 22%. $390MM YoY revenue.

  • Led Vanguard’s experience design from competitive financial results ROI insights, and SEO analytics for final site designs. Integrated two Wisely ADP banking products into one creative design from insights and performance data for 26% lift.

  • Drove strategic design of Amway’s app and $8.9 BN omnichannel e-commerce with business modeling into delivery. Product development roadmaps from corporate blueprinting, UX/UI design, content, and search lifting revenue by $313MM.

  • Orchestrated Stellantis’ global OEM omnichannel marketing (Product UX, Media, CRM) on ~23% journey efficiency from customer experience research and analysis for $2.4 BN agency consolidation win, to meet $720MM in cost cutting.

Samsung Logo

Global Product Design Leadership, on 13 Apps

In 2016 I had the opportunity to join United Airlines to implement the first operations product design team and implement first agile sprint design delivery process that saved millions by migrating from waterfall. Reporting to product managing director, I was head of product design to scale teams efficiently with new agile methodologies on 7 global ops with 13 software applications folio on complex data and delivery cycles with zero downtime. 4.7K daily flights; 356 airports.

My leadership included team responsibility in research, user stories, prioritization planning, rapid prototyping, and design delivery for on and offshore scrum teams. Among many firsts, I conducted field research and agent workshops to identify and prioritize requests for development or deferment (training, system latencies etc).

  • Collaborated among Engineering, AT/QA, and business finance on risk assessments to plan and deliver on $47MM budgets.

    • Coached onshore and offshore staffing with OKR milestones on team development and talent gap progress.

  • · Reported to IT managing director with quarterly improvements from enterprise applications on operations performance.

    • Received two CIO awards and one employee award for mobile product innovation on workforce ops mobility, CX.

  • · Innovated over 34 inefficiencies from process systems and design thinking for planning on mobile platforms consolidation. Proactively identified product journey gaps analysis to improve operations effectiveness, ROI, and risk modeling.

    • Field tested four innovative IoT, augmented, AI facial recognition, NFC bands, and gate innovations with apps.

12 March 2016:

Google's AlphaGo beats Go master Lee Se-dol

13 Applications I led as the product design leader @ United Airlines (Operations)

  • Aero (Desktop)*

    Aero was the core application with both Lobby and Gates management experience my team oversaw daily, replacing a legacy terminal. It evolved significantly in both feature set and mobile modular designs support.

  • MAP: Mobile Agent Platform*

    Mobile Agent was the first native mobile application launched in operations to compliment Aero. It moved from utility features to a fully developed ops tool for managing lobby and (gates) boarding management.

  • In-the-Moment Care App (ItMC)*

    Although originally tested and deployed in Aero, feature planning showed it needed it’s own app, introducing a better flow with selector scrolling that won awards and improved CX public relations for United.

  • Inflight Food & Compensation App

    Developed on IBM PaaS, we rapidly developed wireframes for inflight service with similar UX patterns for the IMC App. Beverage/food stock compensation with loyalty status miles and NFC card payment support were solutioned.

  • Insights Ops (Airport & Baggage) App*

    Delivered a 2.0 airport-wide app for agents from global research in flight management into design delivery of at-a-glance airport-wide management at every airport a multiple levels of flight, passenger, and baggage management.

  • TOMC Aircraft Maintenance (Desktop)

    The Global Network Operations Center asked to consolidate several tools into a single dashboard for rapid ops decisions on aircraft maintenance planning. Complex policies with scheduling were simplified for quicker decision-making.

  • Bag Scanning App

    A Zebra hand scanning tool running on Workcloud for baggage management including freight. Researched designs for new devices in extreme conditions. Poor lighting indicators tested with winter gloves, and goggles to reduce operational failures.

  • CX Policy CMS Platform

    We consolidated and improved a policy CMS experience for both call center and airport staff with new customer event handling recommendations. Workshop design thinking JTBD and urgency scenarios were applied.

  • Curbside App

    The outside curbside app is a utility used at airports for “curb” check-in and baggage payments. Requiring a mouse and keyboard, the new app could migrate touchpads. Readability and environmental extremities evaluated.

  • Wheelchair Management Platform

    With hundreds of “Jet Bridge Jesus” moments of people deboarding without la wheelchair, we evaluated a new planning tool to improve 3rd party staffing between flight capacity and scheduling to reduce operational delays and improve CX.

Team Mgmt. 2012-2016

Product Design Mgmt.

In 2012, I joined nine UX members at Accenture to form the first product experience agency (AXA). I co-developed Accenture’s first product design center-of-excellence practice and spun up a recruitment program that contributed to team growth prior to acquiring Fjord (now Accenture Song). I led 14 product management digital transformations including T-Mobile, Caterpillar and Marriott. We were not just transforming products, but business thinking. I was part of the first cohort to deliver journey maps in consulting. We wrote a practice before books were published.

  • Product requirements, epic prioritization, backlog grooming, front-end development, evaluating back-end engineering feasibility, and release certification. Reporting and continuous post-release improvement analysis.

    • Managed effectively with on/off-shore agile delivery teams across product lifecycles.

    • Comprehensive business/ industry analysis, customer user research, and finalization of modern design concepts.

  • Consultation leadership on project performance and planning on diverse client impactful outcomes on budget constraints

  • Pioneered a talent development program, coached junior product teams, and co-authored Accenture's Go-to-Market (GtM) and (early) DesignOps CoE author on research and information architecture, consistently achieving the highest company performance ratings for on-time budget profitability.

  • Led T-Mobile’s Rebellion product design system unification playbook on patterns, flows, and information architecture. Reduced deployment costs $22MM YoY. Sunset app.

  • Delivered new ($7.2MM) Marriott sales leading a product team from a 42MM guest call-center strategy, driven by new research and UX design to lift occ. 72%.

  • Unified Caterpillar’s global B2B-2C Salesforce pipeline with global business researched driven storytelling, upping quotes 38% into 19% sales ($6.9B)

  • Innovated Prudential’s $27MM transformation ($1.55T) requirements with qualitative and quantitative research with storytelling to align a new site architecture aligned to their leadership values.

  • Redesigned $16.8MM Gerdau, Merck’s user experience of a global salesforce order scheduling management.

Degrees & Advanced Certifications (18)

  • Savannah College of Art & Design | Design B.F.A.

    Majored in design with a Computer Art focus including 2D, 3D, programming, motion animation, and some game design application training.

  • Savannah College of Art & Design | Film B.F.A.

    Received a second (double) major with studies in storyboarding, production lighting, filming, editing, and motion design.

  • Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization

    Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization

    Part of the Gies MBA, this 7-course Specialization covers effectively leading people, teams, and organizations and developing tools to analyze business situations with leadership frameworks. Practices in strategic, human resource, and organizational foundations for capturing value for sustainable competitive advantage across a portfolio of businesses.

  • Forrester CX-II Masters in CX

    Certification courseware included six courses in CX product design including Enabling CX Delivery, Research For Seamless CX, Prioritizing Your CX Efforts, Culture Transformation, Advanced CX Measurement, and lastly Design For Differentiation.

  • UofI Business School: Strategic Leadership & Management Capstone Certification

    UofI Business School: Strategic Leadership & Mgmt Capstone

    Part of the iMBA program, the capstone is a strategic leadership and management that applies actual business situations with participation by one or more companies. Deliverables include creating business value.

  • UIUC Geis Business School: Corporate Strategy Certificate

    UofI Business School: Corporate Strategy

    Part of Gies Business (iMBA, iMSM), developing advantages in managing stakeholders in vertical integration, diversification, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, international expansion, global strategy, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

  • Geis UIUC Business School: Business Strategy

    UofI Business School: Business Strategy

    Part of Gies Business (iMBA, iMSM) Evaluate how to create, capture, and maintain value creation including five forces analysis and strategic positioning business models. Coordinate functional areas, resources, and systems with external environments for performance.

  • UIUC Gies Business Managing the Organization certificate

    UofI Business School: Managing the Org.

    Part of Gies Business (iMBA, iMSM) Evaluate complexities associated with management structures in organizations with frameworks to manage and lead. Analyze challenges with solutions for org. efficiency, cultural foundations, and ethics

  • Leading Teams: Building Effective Team Cultures Certificate

    UoI Business School: Building Cultures

    Part of the University of Illinois specialization, the training develops effective team cultures. Explores different facets of team culture to optimize effective teams. Evaluate cultures of safety, engagement, and growth, to lead teams in cultures that facilitate effective teamwork.

  • Google Project Planning Certificate

    Google Project Planning: Initiation

    Part three of six in a Google Certification, project planning phase components and impact. Identify tools and best practices of a project plan and risk management plan. Estimate, track, and maintain a budget. Draft communication plans and manage them.

  • UofI Business School: Leading Teams

    Part of University of Illinois Gies Business (iMBA, iMSM) Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader that discusses how to lead teams with honesty, empathy and growth effectively.

  • Google Project Execution Certificate

    Google Project Execution

    The fourth course in Google Management program. Quality management of project life cycle, including communication changes, dependencies, and risks. CX Measurement, continuous process improvement with data decision-making and team development.

  • Google Cloud GenAI Foundations

    An introduction course aimed at explaining what Generative AI is, how it is used, and how it differs from traditional machine learning methods. It also covers Google Tools to help you develop Gen AI apps.

  • Google Intro to LLMs

    Explore what large language models (LLM) are, the use cases where they can be utilized, and how you can use prompt tuning to enhance LLM performance. It also covers Google tools to help you develop your own Gen AI apps.

  • UofI Business School: Building Effective Team Cultures

    Part of Gies College of Business’ iMBA, focusing on building effective team cultures. Exploring facets that enable effective teams. Cultures of safety, engagement, and growth to facilitate the most effective teamwork.

  • Forrester CX-I Foundations

    Certification courseware included six courses in CX product design including Crafting A CX Vision, Building A Customer-Centric Culture, Conducting CX Research, Maximizing Journey Mapping, Measuring CX, and lastly Storytelling The CX Business Case.

  • Google Project Management Certificate

    Google Project Mgmt. Initiation

    Part two of a 6-course certification by Google, evaluates the impacts on proper initiation phase to project life cycle, key components of project charters, stakeholder analysis with RACI charts for project team responsibilities, and various project management tools for success.

  • Google Cloud Responsible AI Certificate

    Google Cloud Responsible AI

    Part of Google Cloud, aimed at explaining what responsible AI is, why it's important, and how Google implements responsible AI in their products. It also introduces Google's 7 AI principles.

  • Google Project Management Certificate

    Google Project Mgmt. Foundations

    Part of a 6-course program focusing on foundational project management used at Google including scrum and agile, measurement, and successful team collaboration with stakeholder management.

  • AI/LLM : Implications for Business Strategy

    Artificial intelligence certification in business applications for innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. Strategic decision-making and business performance leveraging AI operations leadership. MIT Sloan + CS & AI Labs.

  • Six Sigma Yellow Belt (In Training)

    Currently working on my Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification for a Q1 2024 completion.

Early Web Development

Soon after I joined Draft / Foote, Cone and Belding (FCB) developing new media with early kiosks for State Farm in malls that measure engagement. Howard Draft instilled early the me early the importance of metrics to measure engagement. At this time, I taught myself (by failing fast) HTML, CSS, Flash, and Javascript and coding websites in Dreamweaver. Old school. I spent the next years designing, optimizing SEO, and managing team development for companies including multiple financial REITs. Applying my motion media to Flash. That was disrupted by the iPhone launch.

Early Career

29 June 2007:

iPhone Launches

Design & Motion Media

Upon graduating, I began graphic design for spot editing and special effects for television spots for several post-houses from McDonald’s and Goodyear to supporting HBO openers. At one point I worked at a start-up with the first DVD network of brand-sponsored entertainment in venues. Think pre-Netflix for bars. I filmed, edited, and distributed entertainment funded by HBO Time Warner.

I applied a love affair to typography to CBS Chicago co-creating station identity work where I received a 2004 Emmy award for title design. It was produced on a mere $45 gas budget from photos that I mixed on a Discreet Flame.

Marriott Itnl.png
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Gerdau.png

Teams I’m grateful to have led in service

  • “I have learned so much over the past year working with him and appreciate his knowledge, perspective, and guidance. His contributions to our team include principles of design and user experience, as well as technology, data, and improved processes that drive efficiency and savings. His track record in identifying, designing, and implementing end-to-end commerce delivers a measurable impact and positive ROI are truly impressive.”

    Archelle C., GVP

  • “I can confidently say that he is an exceptional manager and leader. Josh has always been approachable since the first day we began working together. His leadership style exemplifies the idea of leading from behind, empowering myself to take ownership and excel. I have been able to grow and develop in my career, and he has provided me with valuable feedback and opportunities to take on new challenges.”

    Bailey E., Senior Strategist

  • “Josh is a great person in addition to a great manager. A motivated, strategic product leader who has an ever-growing knowledge of our field. Josh's ability to juggle multiple product life cycles and concurrent research strategies resulted in a big difference in the productivity level of our team. We miss his ‘think beyond what is possible,’ attitude.”

    Libby J., UX

  • “Josh is is a catalyst for growth. From thought leadership in strategic solutions that drive business impact for brands, to team leadership and his exceptional ability to teach and mentor our emerging talent, his value to the organization is tremendous. His approach results in powerful solutions that are easily monetized for scaled impact and growth."

    Ted T., EVP / Direct Superior

  • “Since moving to Razorfish, I have had a clearer picture of what I need to deliver for our team. At prior agencies, I found no clear standards of defined outcomes, creating a great deal of last-minute, unnecessary swirl from leadership. Josh provides education for my growth while coaching how our products have flexibly for our outcomes.”

    Michelle C., Senior Strategist

  • “As our Design Team Manager, Josh was influential in bringing about crucial design improvements across the organization through his leadership and coaching. Very impressive, and very difficult to bring about such change so quickly in a large organization. You are missed, Josh!”

    Melanie P., UX

  • “I highly recommend Josh for his exceptional contributions to our Customer Experience Management team at Razorfish. His expertise in this area was instrumental in delivering outstanding results for our clients. In addition, Josh is a fantastic teammate. He is always willing to lend a hand and jump in where needed.”

    Eddie G., EVP Leadership

  • “One of Josh's greatest strengths is his exceptional leadership skills. He leads by example and is an excellent mentor and coach. He has been very helpful as an inspiration to develop my own skills and capabilities during our time working together and has helped me tremendously to grow in my own career.”

    Kira K., Director

Fun, quirky facts about me…

  • I was once a summer radio DJ for Wheaton College radio.

  • I sang the national anthem for the Chicago Cubs as a teenager.

  • Led over 73 design-thinking workshops. Nine of them at airports with flight staff.

  • Have five recorded albums from a children's choral group. Two on iTunes.

  • I won an Emmy Award for title design in 2004.

  • I have two webbed toes from birth.

  • I built over 19 sets of Legos with my son. The largest is the death star.

  • I followed Phish on a summer tour in college in Vermont. I played pinball at Nectar's with John FIshman.

  • I have climbed the 3rd tallest active volcano, Cotopaxi (Ecuador) twice now. Once with my son.

  • I have a grammy from a children's choral recording I performed as a teenager.

  • Self taught and coded my first website in 2003 with a book and viewing markup code from other websites.

  • I am currently binge watching the anime show Bleach with my son.

  • Graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design and married my college sweetheart shortly after.

Rooted in Arts

As a child, my father would bring home flexo printing plates and letterpress from his work. I was fascinated with typography and how printing layered into something beautiful.

Growing up I was dedicated to the arts as a Jazz saxophonist which taught me how to improv in real time. I spent four years touring with a professional choir group that won a Grammy with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. I became a Cubs fan at this exact moment.

I studied architecture in high school and attended Savannah College of Art and Design on a scholarship. Yet I quickly fell in love with film and design. I double majored in both and after graduating, married my college love.

Background

“If design doesn’t work in B&W, color just makes it worse.”

Fathi Bakkoush, Savannah College of Art and Design Professor

Accountable

Product Strategy and Management Experience

Analyze

  • Value Proposition and CX Success

  • Product Roadmaps with ROI forecasting

  • Analytical CX and Marketing Performance Measurement

  • Multichannel Communications Strategy

  • Policy & Process Design Impacts

  • Segmentation Analytics and Persona Strategy

  • Service Design and Design Thinking

  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research Analysis from Ethnographic to UX Testing

Design

  • Journey Mapping and Blueprints with Analytics and Change Management

  • Use Case Development and User Stories

  • Channel and Site Design Playbooks

  • Product Journey Touchpoints and Information Architectures

  • Enterprise Design Ops and Standards

  • User Flows and Activation Strategies

  • Design Pattern Libraries

  • Rapid Prototyping and High-fidelity Wireframes with Requirements

Optimize

  • Enterprise and Native App Management

  • MarTech and Product Maturity Readiness with UX Requirements

  • Commerce and CRM Optimization from Segmentation, Engagement Analytics

  • Product Feasibility and Impact Prioritization

  • Agile Sprint Grooming and Design Deployment Management

  • Product Lifecycles and App sunset

  • IBM, SFMC, Adobe SaaS and PaaS

Product Design Leadership

  • Product + Business Strategy

    With over a decade of business, market and customer strategy, I bring data-rich recommendations for confidence in designed experiences, product change management and prioritizations for road mapping experiences for customer success.

    Strategy

  • Business + VoC Research

    For over a decade, I have conducted qualitative and quantitative global research to validate product prioritizations. I connect CX research with stakeholder interviews - and workshops to accelerate CX gap knowledge share. Personas to highlight nuanced experiences.

    Research

  • UX Product + Service Design

    Lead product teams in complex enterprise and process-dependent solutions with testing and agile delivery. I evaluate tech feasibility with marketing goals to align branded experiences. My service design solves dependencies that impacts business with CX adoption.

    Design

  • Product + CX Management

    My product prioritization applies customer needs with business value that prioritizes planning. After journeys are defined, feasibility evaluations are applied to advance the product and business vision. Frameworks and readiness prioritizes with investment ROI.

    Manage

  • Marketing & Analytics

    Understanding your customer shopping habits and loyalty patterns can allow for personalization at scale. Evaluating macro, micro, and nano segments with data scientist teams has allowed teams to optimize commerce marketing and CRM, push notification channel targeting.

    Optimize

Let’s have a moment.

Strategy

Holistic Thinking

Journeys that activate

From employee to customer experiences, I define key moments in the journey, with a blueprint that activates greater brand engagement across multiple channels for a consistent experience.

Simplifying the complex

From design thinking to business barriers with cross-functional goal mapping, I evaluate complex and enterprise system dependencies with various product and business teams to collectively own a great customer experience.

Metrics that validate

Continuously leveraged customer research, surveys, testing, segmentation, 1st party, 3rd party, demographic, and psychographic shopper data that validates the brand voice, design and UX engagement strategy.

Management

Optimization and Agile Management

Orchestrated

Knowing the complexity of enterprise products and marketing across several teams, I define tactical goals for teams to work in unison.

Measured

“What gets measured, gets managed” has been a success driver for teams to lean in and invest collectively. Metrics validate and optimize the experience.

Optimized

Great experiences are never done, they are constantly evolving to meet customer goals in the right channel with the right message and action.