Recognising the Women in Product Ops
Considering this week we celebrated International Women's day, I thought it made sense to recognise some of the women creating impact in the world of Product Operations
This list is about the women that came to mind when thinking of who is creating an impact in Product Operations for me. Potentially I’m missing out some important names, and for that I apologise and I would love if you would share.
And so, here goes in alphabetical order
Anabela Cesário
VP of Product Operations, Chief of Staff to CPO at Outsystems
Anabela started Product Operations at Outsystems where she quickly built up a team and improved ways of working. More than that, Anabela and her team have shared great content and helps drive growth of Product Operations as a whole.
Antonia Landi
Product Operations Coach and Consultant
In the past 3 years, Antonia has become one of the strongest voices in the world of Product Operations, but more than that, her enthusiasm is infectious. The knowledge and ideas she shares regularly on Linkedin are priceless and I recommend following her. Recently Antonia has moved into a freelance consultant role, but has also been dedicating time to evolving the discipline and giving back to the community. I expect great things from Antonia.
Becky Flint
CEO of Dragonboat
Working for the past ten years in the area of Product Operations, Becky is a veteran in the field and has gone on to launch Dragonboat to help others achieve efficiency and effectiveness based on much of what Becky has learnt over the years. Becky has also taken advantage of the platform Dragonboat has created to drive discussions and build up communities to help the discipline grow.
Cristine Itwaru
Principle Strategist at Pendo.io
For anyone working in Product Operations, chances are you’ve read or at least heard someone reference the e-books and reports generated by Cristine and her team. Since taking on Product Operations, Cristine has been a strong voice in the community and has definitely helped shape the discipline. The Pendo team under Cristine has also grown and we now see many folks from the team contributing to the community themselves.
Denise Tilles
CPO at Grocket
From the very start of the growing interest in Product Operations, Denise, along with Melissa Perri, has been a strong voice in bringing to light what the discipline entails and how it impacts organisations. Denise also brings her views as a CPO on how Product Operations helps her and others in similar positions. Denise is now working on a book on Product Operations that everyone is anxiously awaiting.
Derya Tavozar
Principal, Product Operations at Tenable
Derya has been an active voice since the very first Product Operations Summit run by the PLA and since then I was able to chat with her in some of our Clubhouse chats. Deryy brings an almost analytic aspect to Product Operations which has helped expand some of the topics discussed and she is always ready to share her thoughts with others.
Diana Soler
Director of Product Operations at Assent
Similar to many on this list, I first crossed paths with Diana at the first Product Operations Summit and since then Diana’s name keeps popping up. Diana is one of the few on this list that I have yet to properly chat with, but she has been contributing to the community and the discipline in so many ways and her voice is always part of important discussions.
Gabby Peralta
Product Operations Manager at Tealium
Gabby is an interesting case of someone who just has so much enthusiasm towards the discipline and in the last years she has been involved in so many of the important discussions. She shared her knowledge at conferences and is always on board to help evolve Product Operations. Gabby is one of those folks I expect we’ll be seeing more and more of.
Gerisha Naderaju
Head of Product Operations at Dojo
If you work in, or are interested in Product Operations and you don’t know who Gerisha is, then you are definitely missing out, because that means you haven’t heard the Product Ops Podcast. Gerisha has run the Product Ops Podcast since 2021 and has been paramount in shedding a spotlight on the discipline with her line up of guests and her involvement in the communities.
Heather James
Self employed
Heather is the only person on this list that maybe isn’t working directly with Product Operations as a role. However, Heather has been paramount to building the Product Operations community and resources. Firstly through the Product-Led Alliance and now through ProductOPsHQ. I think most of the people on this list have been supported by Heather at some time, whether in a community or an event. Heather brings that extra heart and soul to the communities and we would be poorer without her.
Kayla Medellin
Product Manager at Auctane
I met Kayla through our Clubhouse chats when she hosted one. From the very beginning I felt Kayla brought enthusiasm to the topics and already a breadth of experience in Product operations. Kayla has since moved into a more Product Manager role, but I still think she had an important role in the growth of Product Operations.
Lindsey Bell
Head of Product Operations at Rapid
Lindsey is one of those folks I first crossed paths with in an early Product Operations summit, but it was in the following months that Lindsey and I were able to discuss topics and exchange ideas. Since the Lindsey has become a very active voice in the community, appearing in round tables and conferences. Lindsey has incredible insights and she is definitely one to follow.
Marielle Velander
On a break
With Marielle, the interesting part is that she came from the world of ResearchOps into the world of Product Operations. That means Marielle brings a very different point of view to the conversations and because of that she has brought some great practices into the world of Product Operations. Marielle has decided to take a sabbatical, but when she comes back, I’m sure she will create impact no matter what choices she makes.
Marie Gaumont
Director of Product Operations at Payfit
With Marie, I see it as an interesting case of someone who has built a large and successful team at Payfit and she has spoken at quite a few events, but is still pretty discreet. I feel not enough people know of what an incredible professional Marie is and what she has done to evolve the discipline. I’ve had the privilege to chat with Marie on 2 occasions and in both interactions, I learnt so much from Marie. I highly recommend learning from her.
Michelle Merrill
Director, Product Operations at Github
Michelle is another one of those cases of a hidden gem. I first met Michelle in a speed networking at the first Product Operations Summit where we had a pleasant introduction. I then realised that she was delivering a talk at the event and later crossed paths with her at one or two events. Michelle was always pleasant and humble, but what I quickly realised is that she has a breadth of experience and knowledge spanning many years on the topic of Product Operations. Michelle and I have kept in contact and chat often. I think Michelle passes under the radar when she should be one of the biggest voices in this discipline! She deserves more credit!
Patrícia Cadete
Lead Program Manager at Outsystems
Patricia is part of Anabela’s team at Outsystems and one of the main voices behind so many of the sharing sessions run by Outsystems. More than that, Patricia has shared case studies on their training program and so much more. Patricia is still evolving in this career, but I have no doubt that her voice will become stronger in the community in the coming years.
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that we have so many incredible women in the world of Product Operations and they’re influencing how product operations work.
I doubt I’ve done justice to them, but I did my best.
Do you have a women you think has been a powerful voice in the industry? Please share!
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