Product Manager, Bridge Builder, Innovator

I love building things. I love taking things apart to understand how they work and then finding ways to put them back together again so they are more efficient and perform more elegantly. As a strategic and results-oriented product management leader, I bring a strong track record of successfully launching new products and scaling existing projects across FinTech, E-commerce, and EdTech industries. My expertise lies in asking the right questions to determine the root of customer and user problems, defining products and strategies to solve for those problems, and then ruthlessly prioritizing to get to market quickly. I'm adept at engaging with cross-functional groups to drive toward company goals and build bridges in order to maintain team culture and am not afraid to get into the weeds as much as possible. I'm committed to fostering robust relationships with internal and external partners, often stepping up to lead in scenarios even without explicit authority. I pride myself on my clear communication skills, effectively presenting ideas to a wide range of stakeholders, and aligning everyone towards a shared product vision and strategy.

My Product & Leadership Skills

Over the years I've built a personal toolkit for product management and leadership, informed and improved by each team and project I've been a part of. I've also had success in teaching and mentoring these skills to team members, both directly and through example. I'd love the opportunity to leverage these skills to contribute to your team or organization and learn and grow in the process.

Strategic & Business Acumen

  • B2B
  • B2B2C
  • B2C
  • Brand Building
  • Business Process Improvement
  • Data Strategy
  • Financial Models
  • Go-To-Market Strategy
  • KPI Tracking & Assessment
  • Partner Relationship Management
  • Problem Solving
  • Product Marketing
  • Product Roadmaps
  • Stakeholder Alignment
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Strategy

Technical & Data Analysis

  • AI Prompt Engineering
  • AI Platform Tools
  • API Product Management
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • CSS
  • Data Insights
  • HTML
  • Javascript
  • Low & No-Code Development
  • Microsoft Power Platform
  • Mobile
  • NuxtJS
  • PowerBI
  • Process Automation
  • SaaS
  • Web Analytics

Product Lifecycle & Project Management

  • A/B Testing
  • Agile
  • API Product
  • Data Product
  • Direct-To-Consumer
  • E-comm Product
  • Enterprise Product Management
  • Kanban
  • Mobile Product
  • Product Discovery
  • Product Operations
  • Project Management Tools
  • Reporting
  • Roadmapping
  • SAFE
  • SaaS Product

Leadership & Collaboration

  • Communication
  • Cross-functional Collaboration
  • Cross-functional Team Leadership
  • Presentation
  • Product Leadership
  • Product Mentorship
  • Productivity Processes
  • Technical Documentation
  • Training

User Experience & Customer-centric Design

  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • AI Image Generation
  • Design Frameworks
  • Design Thinking
  • Figma
  • Graphic Design
  • Innovation
  • Instructional Design
  • Prototyping
  • UI Design
  • UX Research
  • User Interviews
  • Wireframing

Professional Experience

Extensive experience managing products and teams across the
FinTech, E-commerce, and EdTech industries.

  • Solo Global

    Lead Product Manager, Financial & Risk Products

    Jan 2023 - May 2023

    Strategically defined product roadmap, aligning projects and development to company vision and goals, until Solo Global made the tough decision to cease operations. Collaborated with data team to implement updated ledger functionality to enable new feature development Successfully negotiated with partners, kickstarting the Payment Facilitator registration process. Designed and implemented innovative tools and processes that significantly reduced transaction an account fraud review times by 60% (eliminating need for one full time risk agent)

  • Snap Finance

    Senior Director: Growth Products & Innovation

    Aug 2021 - Dec 2022

    Provided product leadership and management for our growth products portfolio until the Innovation Team was disbanded as part of a Reduction In Force. Spearheaded the delivery of a "0 to 1" mobile financial app for a neobank offering, contributing to a $1B incremental revenue opportunity and evolving the company from a sub-prime lender to a broader financial services leader and opening cross-sell opportunities to the core lending business. Built, led, and mentored a product team of 5, including product marketing, UX Research, product management, and customer experience, effectively implementing an innovation pipeline.

  • 1-800 Contacts

    Senior Product Manager

    May 2020 - Jul 2021

    Oversaw B2B and B2C Product Management for a portfolio of partner products and eyewear brand Liingo. Streamlined processes and realigned priorities for our partner team, reducing new feature delivery time by 30% and successfully delivering on a $1,200,000 key partner contract. Ensured contracted delivery schedules and timelines were maintained during the Covid transition. Re-aligned product roadmap to adapt to changing business goals and partner requirements during the pandemic, delivering 100% on financial projections for 2020. Successfully launched eyewear e-commerce site and fulfillment functionality for a key partner. Integrated core Telehealth eye exam functionality into partner sites, along with payment and optical prescription delivery

  • Agilix Labs

    Director of Product

    Dec 2014 - Feb 2020

    Led Product and UX design functions, lead efforts to unify UI across product portfolio. Championed digital transformation efforts aligning product strategy and development to internal and channel partner roadmaps, leading to an increase in virtual content delivery by 20-40% and annual revenue growth of $1,000,000. Led product design and management for flagship K-12 personalized learning platform and API web services. Delivered “0 to 1” mobile app for parents that gave insights into child's courses and performance. Delivered “0 to 1” content and document repositories for districts and schools that spanned multiple stakeholder categories. Managed projects within an Agile Kanban product development environment, delivering consistent and stable weekly releases for a SaaS product.y

  • JMS Group

    Managing Director and Certified Real Estate Appraiser

    Jan 2005 - Nov 2014

    Co-manage all business functions, including: overall business plan development, budgeting of all cost centers, recruitment of three other team members, training and mentoring, coordination of assignments, setting deadlines, forecasting business needs along with team needs, individual and team recognition and performance related feedback sessions and evaluations. Provided real estate appraisal services for clients and national lenders and banks. Led marketing and account management functions.

  • Early Career

    product support, web design, development, and e-commerce

    birth - Oct 2014

    Worked at a few startups and larger companies in Utah during my early career. These roles ranged from product support management to UI and web design and front end coding. During the dot-com bubble burst and being laid off three times in the span of 18 months I decided to start my own online clothing retail business with a focus on eBay sales, becoming a Platinum PowerSeller. When the eBay market became more competitive, and fees continually increased I closed the business and liquidated inventory.

I've had the privilege of working with some truly amazing people

Some of them even have some pretty good things to say about me...

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Cory at multiple companies. I highly recommend as a Product Leader. Cory's product intuition, backed by data-driven insights, consistently leads to innovative solutions. He possesses the unique ability to lead effectively, navigating (and arguably thriving) in ambiguity. Cory's remarkable "Get Stuff Done" attitude, combined with his technical prowess, sets him apart as a valuable asset to any organization.”

Mylee Vigness
Fintech Innovator | Exec | Advisor

“It was my great pleasure to work with Cory in Snap Finance. During our time together, his expertise in product strategy and development was evident, and he always demonstrated a clear understanding of market trends and customer needs. What truly set him apart was his leadership style. He was always approachable, supportive, and invested in my growth and development. He encouraged collaboration and was always willing to listen and consider new ideas. His mentorship was invaluable, and he consistently challenged me to step out of my comfort zones and achieve my full potential. He would be a valuable asset to any company looking for a strategic and visionary leader.”

Nasim Biglari
User Experience Researcher

“Cory is a great leader and product innovator. He combines product vision with an exceptional ability to lead and mentor his team. He is able to understand what the business and his people need at any given time. Cory also has a great work ethic and is a truly collaborative team member.”

Jessie Jett
Marketing Leader

Let's Connect

Have an open Product Management need or position and think I'd be a great fit? Need some advice or help working through a complex product problem that you or the team is stuck on? Let's chat.

©2024 corybagozzi.com