Board Candidate Profiles 2024

Andrina Kelly

Running for: Vice President

Bio:
Serving as the Vice President on the Board of Directors for Product BC has been a deeply rewarding experience. My journey from a music performance graduate to leading strategic initiatives at Jamf has equipped me with a unique blend of creativity, analytical thinking, and leadership skills.

Over the past year, I’ve worked in close collaboration with the rest of the board to enhance our community’s engagement and support systems. With a strong background in data-driven decision-making and agile methodologies, I’ve focused on creating a collaborative environment where members can thrive.

Beyond my professional roles, I am passionate about community building. I believe in fostering a space where every member feels valued and empowered. My goal is to continue driving initiatives that promote growth, learning, and meaningful connections within our community.

I am excited about the opportunity to serve you again and look forward to building an even stronger Product BC together.

Bio:
About involvement in product community:

I work extensively with new graduates and immigrants to help them navigate job search and career development in product management. I completed a career pivot into technology and product management ten years ago and know how difficult it can be to land your first role. As a result, I am empathetic to younger professionals looking to get into product.

About my product experience:

Dynamic product management leader with a decade of experience in the tech industry, specializing in delivering business value to enterprise customers through AI technologies. Proven track record of leading teams through the full product development lifecycle, from discovery to rapid prototyping, launch and product market fit. Recognized for driving operational efficiency and achieving significant financial uplift by applying innovative AI solutions to complex business challenges. Committed to fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning within the team.

Sam Moradi

Running for: Member at Large

Shikha

Running for: Vice President

Bio:
I had been President of International Toastmasters club. Apart from that I am currently an active member of my organization’s social committee. In past I had hosted multiple social event for south Asian community and have vast experience in hosting stage events.

Bio:
As an experienced product leader with over 8 years in product management, I understand the challenges many Product Managers face. The struggle to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world complexities, and the feeling of isolation in a role that often sets us apart within our organizations, are common experiences. We, as product managers and leaders, seek connection, belonging, and practical support to navigate these hurdles.

Professional Experience: Having been the first PM at four companies, I understand the challenges of driving strong product cultures intimately. I have faced internal political challenges and environments initially skeptical of the PM function, and have learned how to successfully build high-trust relationships while securing resources for product development.

I have served as Director of Product at two companies, am currently the Head of Product at EasyRedir, and have held leadership roles across product, marketing, and operations. These experiences have honed my ability to align cross-functional teams and execute strategic goals effectively.

Building Communities for Support: I am deeply invested in fostering a supportive community for product managers. I organize monthly product meetups in Victoria, providing a space for connection outside Vancouver. I lead “Pioneering Product,” a peer support group for first PMs, offering guidance around the unique challenges of being the first PM in an organization.

Continuous Learning: I am also an active member of Reforge, continuously learning from leading product experts. Currently, I focus on monetization and pricing strategies, learning from Patrick Campbell and Elena Verna.

Motivation for Running: I am motivated by the opportunity to give back to the community that has significantly contributed to my growth. As Professional Development Officer, I will work to ensure ProductBC remains a hub of innovation, learning, and support for all product professionals in BC.

Jeremy Kirouac

Running for: Professional Development Officer

Johnny Huang

Running for: Professional Development Officer

Bio:
Johnny is a seasoned product leader with 17 years of working on products at Microsoft, EA, and various VC-funded startups. He specializes in 0-1 products with a deep focus on R&D through commercialization, with a track record of shipping products enjoyed by millions of users. Johnny has built and scaled product teams at CTO.ai and Bosa Properties, up to 5 PMs and product teams of 40+.

Johnny’s passion is coaching people to maximize their impact and potential. He is currently an instructor in leadership and communication and is a product & leadership mentor. Johnny’s vision is to transform ProductBC into an engine for developing product leadership talent, driving human-centric innovation & entrepreneurship on the world’s stage.

Bio:
Dear Members,

I am excited to become a part of the Board for ProductBC. I hope to bring some unique experiences to the table besides being in Product:

I have owned and operated both tech and non-tech businesses. The technology we created for my company, Slickfy Studios, was acquired by a larger gaming company. My current venture is Indish, one of the most popular and loved Indian food brands in the Lower Mainland!

From a PM skills perspective, my early PMM experiences gave me expertise in Go-To-Market. I am unsure if we have enough go-to-market and product sales experience on the board, so I’d hopefully be able to contribute there as well.

I am passionate about professional career development and I have spoken to hundreds of professionals (in product, tech and outside tech) looking to grow their careers and identify their next step. I also help young professionals get into post-grad programs. In my first job, I worked for Pearson, once the largest education company in the world, and am intimately familiar with the operations of educational and learning institutions to create effective professional development programs in partnership with them and other industry experts.

Look forward to connecting with the current board and members at large to get their input on how I can further the objectives of ProductBC.

Anant Singh

Running for: Member at Large

Blake Fisher

Running for: Treasurer

Bio:

Blake works remotely out of New Westminster as the Associate Director of Product Management for Kelowna-based QHR Technologies with the AccuroEMR product team (HealthTech). Blake has also worked at companies such as Thinkific, Rise People, and Vancity Credit Union.

Blake has been volunteering with ProductBC since 2017 and served two terms on the board from 2021-2023 supporting as Marketing Chair, Treasurer and Vice-President previously.

Bio:
• 15+ years of project/product management experience as IT Project Manager, supervising 100+ enterprise-wide Software Projects and Technology Projects
• PMP (Project Management Professional Designation), Master of Computer Science, and Master of Education in Educational Leadership; Expert at ISO TC258 Project Management Technical Committee
• Strategic relationship building with business senior executives and IT key stakeholders in developing project business case, benchmarking quality standards, project budgeting, resource and scope control, risk and issue mitigation, and business KPI alignment
• Extensive experience of tailoring various project management methodologies to project context including PMBOK, PRINCE2, Agile, Scrum, PMO, ITIL, Lean Method, Hybrid PM Methods, Continuous Improvement, MSP, ITIL and CMMI.
• Advanced Project Management certification including PMP, PMI-ACP, Scrum, PRINCE2, Agile Project Management, PMO Manager /P3O, MSP, Agile Business Analysis, ITIL V3 Expert & ITIL4, and Change Management Practitioner

Jianfeng Jeffrey Ma

Running for: Member at Large

Duncan Schouten (He/Him/His)

Running for: President

Bio:
After serving as President of ProductBC for the 2023/24 term, I’m eager to continue building our community in the year to come.

I’m pretty vocal about how much this organization means to me. ProductBC hasn’t just helped my career, it’s also introduced me to a lot of folks who’ve become close friends — a story I’ve heard from many of you, too. In a year with so much turmoil in our field, I’m proud to have helped make space for people across BC to come together and find support.

One of the most impactful ways to bring people together, of course, is events. The outgoing board made it a priority to increase the number of ProductBC events held every month, including introduction of regular in-person socials and our online Lunch & Learn series. (Many thanks to Claire Gallant and our Events team for making this happen!) We intend to keep this momentum going in the new term, with big plans for our 3rd ProductBC conference next fall.

With an expanded board and more focused responsibilities for each member, we’re looking forward to doing even more for you. More opportunities to volunteer; more programs to support your professional development; and more ways to get value from your membership with ProductBC.

I’m excited for the chance to continue as President in 24/25, and I’d appreciate your vote. Let’s build together.

Bio:
With 13+ years of post-grad professional experience, I have served in Product leadership roles for nearly 6 years primarily in the banking, online marketplace and telecommunications industries. I have contributed as a volunteer, a mentor and community builder in the domain of product management through engagements at my alma-mater UBC, BC Tech Association, ProductCamp Vancouver, Project Management Institute (PMI) and other reputable organizations. As a certified PMP, PSM1, PSPO1 and Prosci CCP, I continue to seek new opportunities to learn and grow. I would be thrilled to join ProductBC Board and contribute to ProductBC’s strategic direction. Thank you very much for considering my candidacy and I look forward to hearing from your team. All the best!

Ashar Kazi

Running for: Member at Large

Colin Li

Running for: Professional Development Officer

Bio:
I am a Senior Strategy Manager, Ecommerce, Emerging Products at TELUS where I have led the digital sales and web product strategy for the last 6.5 years, currently focused on the SmartHome Security and TELUS Online Security portfolios.

ProductBC has given so much to me as a Product professional where I have met so many amazing peers and friends in the local product community through networking and professional learning events while supporting the growth of our product talent pipeline as a mentor with the mentorship program. Running as a Professional Development Officer or Board Member will allow me to give back to this vibrant and engaged community through educational events and workshops while promoting additional in-person events to spark more community and connection that we can’t get with remote work.

My previous volunteer experiences where I have successfully led peer groups to build community and create professional development programs from scratch is what will set me up as a successful board member at Product BC. Examples include: Co-Founder and Captain at BCIT JDC West (Business case competition across Western Canada), President of Toastmasters BCIT (Public speaking peer support group), and Founder and Project Manager at Enactus BCIT (Youth empowerment project for educating high school students about financial literacy and career development skills).

I look forward to serving, supporting and propelling the ProductBC community to new heights!

Bio:
I have had the honour of serving as a board member for the past year and would like to continue to support this extraordinary community. As part of ProductBC, I have connected our community to companies and other professional communities in the BC area including Frontier Collective and TTT Studios. I am also heavily engaged with our annual conference in solidifying our volunteers and improvements to our sponsorship program.

My passion lies in product management, and I have a background spanning semiconductors to telecommunications and software. I am an early adopter of Agile and Product Management practices and am recognized for my excellent collaboration and communication skills.

My volunteer work focuses on mentoring and community-building. Besides being an active board member at ProductBC, I am also mentoring a UBC MBA student in her quest towards a role in Product Management. Previously I build and lead a mentoring program for over 100 youth towards earning Eagle Scout rank (US) and contributing to ProductCamp Austin as a board member, speaker, and operational enhancer.

My journey showcases adaptability, leadership, and a commitment to fostering growth and success, for both people and communities.

Mike Trujillo

Running for: Committee & Volunteer Officer

Florence Opara

Running for: Member at Large

Bio:
I have previous experience leading a tech community, Ladies that UX London, for five years, successfully enabling events such as hackathons, panels and lightning talks. This experience included managing the Slack community, creating event roadmaps, logistics and organizing volunteers. It also included finding hosts and sponsors, with events sponsored and hosted by companies such as Meta (Facebook), Google and Skyscanner. In addition, in London, I was on the board of a school as a governor where I helped set the strategic direction; oversaw the financial performance and held the school and headteachers accountable to educational goals. Furthermore, I’m currently volunteering to help bring to life the ProductBC conference. Within my roles at work, I have been a part of building well-being workshops, developing work social clubs and publishing an internal newsletter.

I have spent over five years working as a Product Manager and Product Designer, making strategic decisions for products, launching products and working cross functionally across international teams.

Now that I am here in BC, I would love to continue with building a better Product community here in BC and feel my experience could be of value.

Bio:
I’m an accomplished product leader with extensive experience in both enterprise and startup settings. Currently, I lead the product team at Social Nature, a Vancouver-based startup that helps consumers discover products that are better for themselves and the planet. My role involves guiding product strategy, managing cross-functional teams, and driving user engagement to ensure our offerings align with market needs and sustainability goals.

Since moving to Vancouver in 2019, I have actively engaged with the ProductBC and BCTech communities. These communities have provided invaluable support and resources that have greatly contributed to my professional development and personal growth. I have participated in numerous events, workshops, and networking sessions, gaining insights and building relationships that have enriched my career.

My candidacy is motivated by a strong desire to give back to a community that has been instrumental in my success. I believe in the power of collaboration and community support, and I am eager to contribute my expertise to further enhance the value that ProductBC offers its members. My experience in product management, coupled with my communication skills and collaborative attitude, positions me well to drive and support initiatives that will benefit all members and the product community at large.

I am particularly passionate about fostering an inclusive environment where diverse ideas can thrive. As a board member, I would work to ensure that all voices are heard and that we continue to build a supportive and innovative community.

Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the possibility of contributing to the success and growth of the ProductBC group.

Marco Ciffo

Running for: Member at Large

Utkarsh Wali

Running for: Member at Large

Bio:
My craze for product management started in 2019 when I was the Tech. Product Owner for my team. New to the product world I was influenced by Agile and its left-shifting mindset to break down things into easier and simpler pieces. I tried to imply that till 2021 and took a major leap to come to Vancouver for my MBA from UBC in Product Management. I deep-dived into technical product management because of my background and got insights from industry leaders about ‘new product development’ and ‘consumer behaviour’. The next goal was to apply this in the industry, and so I did. Working in organizations like IBM and TELUS in a product capacity helped me learn A LOT. Starting from the ground level by working with development/QA teams to seeing the business & financial impacts of every move we make in a product world was insightful. Learning how the Rogers+Shaw merger is impacting the revenue streams like EBITA for TELUS and what steps the senior leadership is taking to mitigate that, to implementing those steps (Price increases, shift in GTM, capital management, etc) – I have experienced this all in the last 2 years. I have been a ProductBC member for 2+ years, had a bunch of coffee chats, and recently learned great insights from our president Duncan. Now it’s time to give back to the community as I did at Cisco as a teacher at the village government school, at the American Red Cross where I was the volunteer lead, and very recently at UBC where I held the position of VP of Communications for my whole MBA term, and continuing it by providing mentorship to the current and incoming students at UBC. I have been an integral part of communities throughout my life, and this is what I am missing from my life right now – I want to fill that gap by being closer to ProductBC. Thank you!

Bio:
Hello ProductBC Community,
I’m excited to put my name forward for a position on the ProductBC board. Currently, I’m a Product Owner at Copperleaf Technologies, a company that’s making waves in the world of capital planning software solutions. I’ve spent seven years there, helping clients make value-based decisions encompassing all aspects of the value chain.
Before Copperleaf, I was an analyst at McKinsey & Company, helping retail banks optimize their digital channels. But what makes me different? I’ve lived in five countries and speak four languages, bringing a wealth of international perspectives.
In my free time, I love to dance and scuba dive. Dancing in front of an audience has honed my public speaking and presentation skills, making me a confident and effective communicator. Scuba diving, on the other hand, has taught me how to stay calm under pressure.

I’m also a strong advocate for women in tech, and I’m committed to promoting gender equality in our industry.
Building our community is something I’m passionate about. I’ve been involved in initiatives that have brought people together, and I want to bring that same energy here. I believe in creating an environment where everyone feels heard, valued, and engaged.

I’m running for this position because I love this community and I want to contribute to its growth and success. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and experiences to the board and help shape our future

Martina Carli

Running for: Professional Development Officer

Lillian Wu

Running for: Member at Large

Bio:
As a product management professional with over 15 years of experience, I’m passionate about fostering collaborative and customer-focused product communities. I can bring values in helping drive innovation through agile methods, data-driven decisions, strategy setting and continuous improvement. I enjoy mentoring and has successfully guided many team members into various levels in product manager roles. I’m experienced in stakeholder collaboration and strategic communication. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of Product BC as a board member.

Bio:
Throughout my career in product management, I’ve focused on user-centric innovation, strategic problem-solving, and fostering collaborative relationships. My experience in leading digital transformations and implementing self-service systems at TELUS has resulted in improved customer experiences and increased revenue, demonstrating my ability to drive positive change and create a lasting impact.

As a dedicated volunteer, I’ve honed my communication and empathy skills, enabling me to build strong connections with people from various backgrounds. These experiences have taught me the importance of fostering inclusivity and understanding within a community, which I believe will be invaluable in contributing to the ProductBC community.
By mentoring and being mentored, I’ve developed a deep understanding of people’s needs and hesitations when pursuing leadership roles or entering the field of product management. As a discerning individual, I can identify these challenges and offer guidance, helping others overcome barriers to success and reach their full potential. I’m eager to bring this enthusiasm and support to the ProductBC community, fostering an environment of growth and learning.

As a recently approved member of MondayGirl, I’m committed to continuous personal and professional development. I am excited to bring my extensive experience, strategic thinking, and dedication to the ProductBC team. My unique blend of innovation, leadership, perceptiveness, and genuine passion for helping others succeed will contribute to the organization’s ongoing success and strengthen the community as a whole.

Swati Chaudhari

Running for: President

Anita Yuan

Running for: Professional Development Officer

Bio:

I’m thrilled to run for Professional Development Officer at ProductBC. As a woman in product and an immigrant from China, I’ve experienced firsthand the power of a supportive community in navigating career challenges. Over the past three years as a ProductBC member, this community has been instrumental in my growth, and now I want to give back.

At TELUS, I co-founded a mentorship program and a career development initiative. These programs have supported over 500 team members with a 96% satisfaction rate, highlighting my commitment to helping others grow. Additionally, I founded a Chinese tech community in Greater Vancouver to support fellow Chinese professionals in their career journeys.

I have extensive experience curating and establishing partnerships with organizations and businesses. As your Professional Development Officer, I will leverage this experience to foster partnerships with educational institutions and industry experts, bringing the best learning opportunities to our community.

My goal is to create programs and workshops that address the real needs of our members. I believe in the importance of continuous feedback and am always open to constructive suggestions to improve our initiatives. I’m passionate about making ProductBC an inclusive space where everyone feels empowered to learn and grow. By identifying educational needs within our membership and industry, I aim to ensure we all have the tools and resources to create impactful products and services.

Your support means a lot to me, and I’m excited about the possibility of contributing to our community’s success.

Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Bio:

Former engineer, data scientist and now product manger. My main strengths as PM are execution, growth (data & analytics) and AI.

I’ve started the Kelowna Product Manager meetups and helped build our PM ‘Product Therapy’ community. I’m interested in connecting PMs outside of Vancouver (like me!) further into the Vancouver area product scene so we are truly one Product BC community.

I began my career as an engineer and data scientist at Disney, working in games. My first PM role was with Disney mobile games where I focused on monetization and live operations. Using machine learning, I drove profitable optimizations but uh also learned to think like a product manager which I didn’t do at first.

After Disney, I joined a social gaming startup Oooh.tv from inception. We secured a Series A, and I led lean experiments in the early days and later the development of AI-moderated video pipeline, home feeds and so many other things. This role taught me the importance of total ownership, though it also exposed me to the exhausting demands of startup life.

Currently, I am an AI-focused PM at DISCO, a public legal-tech company, where I work on AI products and features that help attorneys streamline their legal reviews.

Geoff Freedman

Running for: Member at Large

Tarnem Afify

Running for: Professional Development Officer

Bio:

I am passionate about community building and volunteering, driving positive social impact throughout my career. During my academic journey, I served as the University’s President’s Ambassador, fostering commitment and engagement within the university community. As a representative in the International Association of Physics Students, I worked to encourage students to seek international opportunities.

I have been a member of York University’s Student to Alumni Advisory Committee, advising on student and young alumni programming and engagement activities. I also founded the Women in Physics Society, advocating for diversity and equality by organizing events, workshops, and mentorship programs.

My dedication and achievements have been recognized with awards, including the Schulich Sonja I. Bata Legacy Award for Social Entrepreneurship & Responsible Business and being named one of York University’s Top 30 Changemakers Under 30.

I hope to leverage my expertise to support and enhance professional development initiatives within the Product BC community as a Professional Development Officer or one of its board members.