Summary
Over a decade of industry experience leading cross-functional teams in developing complex consumer products, from conception to launch. Strategic creative problem-solver who combines skills in design, business, and technology to produce compelling user experiences for large-audience products and services, such as Microsoft Windows and Nordstrom brick-and-mortar retail experience.
Endlessly curious about how things work, persistent and methodical at uncovering what consumers need and want. Expertise in product strategy, customer development, UX design, program management, customer and partner relationships, and organizational development.
Career Highlights
Product Design and Strategy
- Awarded 10 patents for innovative user interface and platform designs in Microsoft Office and Windows teams.
- Increased average number of items sold per customer by 15% after launching mobile POS strategy for Nordstrom retail experience. Led the strategy and rollout of 6000+ devices to decrease customer wait times and improve transaction efficiency and experience.
- Developed and implemented the cross-border Direct-to-Customer shipping strategy for Nordstrom Canada expansion. Provided a framework to simplify a complex problem with competing requirements in customer service, technology, cross-border logistics, and legal requirements.
- Led a cross-functional team to create and build the first version of the Windows AppStore on Windows 8. Developed user scenarios and visual concepts that evolve existing shopping paradigms, while still meeting commerce business goals. Awarded 3 patents for a novel UI design that creatively achieves balance between user experience goals and business strategy. Analyzed competitor and consumer research to develop product strategy including: market and user research, value proposition, success metrics, engineering complexity and risk analysis, customer and developer adoption strategy.
- Designed Windows 7 boot sequence. Shipped end-to-end experience improving performance, visual aesthetics, and manufacturability in comparison to previous version, Vista. Created and managed schedules, dependencies, and cross-team communication. Worked under aggressive time constraints to design an innovative solution that meets strict branding and performance requirements.
- Decreased user search time in photo collection for 100% of user base in Windows Live Photo Gallery. Improved user efficiency through innovative algorithm that automatically organizes photos during import.
Program Management and Organizational Development
- Reduced average deployment time of Nordstrom.com by 30%. Reduced work-in-progress, aligned business and technology teams on a single metric for feature prioritization, implemented processes to reduce cost of deployment and increase overall employee morale. Enabled better intake process to decrease time-to-market of emerging requirements and rapidly changing business needs.
- Managed relationships between ten largest hardware manufacturers (OEMs) and Windows product group. Defined policy for OEM customization of Windows, and worked closely with OEMs to integrate features into Windows to meet their business needs.
- Reduced the cost of OEM deployment process from Windows Vista to Windows 7 by 30% through improved documentation, tools, and increased engagement.
- Re-designed Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets Platform security model. New design improves user perception of security, and mitigates highest priority security threats.
Work Experience
| Entrepreneur | Self-Employed | (Oct 2013 – Present) | |
| Asian Food Lab, Chef, Instructor, Blogger | Owner | (Jan 2013 – Present) | |
| Retail Service and Experience, Senior Product Manager Lead | Nordstrom | (Jan 2013 – Sept 2013) | Seattle, WA |
| Windows Core User Experience Team, Senior Program Manager | Microsoft Corp | (Sep 2009 – Nov 2012) | Redmond, WA |
| Windows Vista, Digital Memories Group, Program Manager | Microsoft Corp | (May 2005 – Aug 2009) | Redmond, WA |
| Office SmartArt, Office Graphics Group, Program Manager | Microsoft Corp | (Aug 2003 – May 2005) | Redmond, WA |
| Exchange.NET Server, Mobility Group, Program Manager Intern | Microsoft Corp | (Jun 2002 – Sep 2002) | Redmond, WA |
| Passport.NET, Authentication Group, Program Manager Intern | Microsoft Corp | (Sep 2001 – Jan 2002) | Redmond, WA |
| Enterprise Solutions Lab, Technical Marketing Consultant | Cisco Systems, Inc | (Jan 2001 – Apr 2001) | San Jose, CA |
Karen Wong 