Resume

AUG 2024 – Present
Independent Product & Technology Strategy Development
Independent: Charlonis.com

My independent work extends my enterprise product and transformation background into AI strategy, governance, decision systems, and programmable infrastructure. I develop research-informed operating models, governance frameworks, and strategic guidance for how organizations evaluate, adopt, and manage emerging technologies.

The work includes applied AI-assisted workflows, enterprise capability research, portfolio development, and decision-system design, with an emphasis on human oversight, accountability, implementation readiness, and organizational value.

Selected Work

• Built and operated the Governed Intelligence Operating System, a governed AI-assisted strategy environment for market intelligence, opportunity evaluation, evidence management, portfolio development, and controlled learning.
• Developed AI governance frameworks covering use-case intake, risk assessment, human oversight, decision authority, escalation paths, adoption readiness, vendor governance, and value realization.
• Designed human-in-the-loop and agentic AI operating models with guardrails, thresholds, monitoring concepts, accountability structures, bounded autonomy, and responsible implementation controls.
• Created executive-level strategy artifacts clarifying AI risk taxonomy, operating models, intake criteria, decision authority, roadmap sequencing, oversight needs, and measurement logic.
• Evaluated Web3, tokenization, smart contracts, settlement infrastructure, Bitcoin infrastructure, and programmable compliance through enterprise value, financial-infrastructure modernization, technical literacy, auditability, institutional readiness, and risk.
• Published portfolio case studies and Intelligence Briefs translating enterprise AI, governance, product strategy, and programmable-infrastructure research into practical leadership implications.

2019 –2024 Associate Director, Product Strategy & Enterprise Transformation
2012–2019 Senior Manager, Product Strategy & Enterprise Transformation
Cognizant Technology Solutions

Led product strategy, experience strategy, discovery, and transformation workstreams within complex Fortune 500 engagements. Regularly entered underdefined initiatives to investigate business and user problems, establish future-state direction, align stakeholders, and prepare multidisciplinary teams for delivery.

Research and discovery were foundational to my Cognizant engagements. I defined research questions, personally conducted user, stakeholder, and operational research on many assignments, and collaborated with dedicated research teams when appropriate.

I interpreted findings and developed initial information architectures, journeys, workflows, sketches, and experience concepts. I then directed multidisciplinary contributors in refining those concepts into formal designs, prototypes, requirements, and delivery-ready direction.

Selected Work

• Led product-strategy, discovery, and experience workstreams across commercial and consumer banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare, SaaS, e-commerce, enterprise applications, portals, workflow systems, POS platforms, and internal operational tools.
• Translated ambiguous business objectives and stakeholder needs into product capabilities, customer and employee journeys, workflows, controls, role-based experiences, roadmap inputs, and implementation-ready direction.
• Worked closely with technology teams during discovery and solution definition to understand platform strengths, constraints, dependencies, data considerations, and technical feasibility.
• Defined future-state concepts, prototypes, requirements, and roadmap inputs used to align executives, product owners, business teams, engineering, operations, compliance, vendors, and other stakeholders around direction, tradeoffs, sequencing, and delivery priorities.
• Led discovery and solutioning before scaled delivery teams were onboarded, helping determine required capabilities, workstreams, team roles, dependencies, estimates, timelines, and delivery approaches.
• Led discovery and experience workstreams in parallel with active delivery, refining requirements, workflows, design priorities, and sprint direction as implementation progressed. On selected engagements, continued coordinating assigned teams and reviewing implementation-stage experiences before transitioning responsibilities to scaled delivery organizations.
• Guided Agile product definition and execution across domestic and offshore teams, often serving as the primary client-facing lead for the assigned discovery, product-strategy, or experience workstream while translating stakeholder feedback into actionable direction for distributed delivery resources.
• Originated initial experience concepts, information structures, workflows, and sketches, then directed product and design contributors through formal design, prototyping, validation, refinement, and delivery coordination while preserving the intended experience.
• Held formal people-management responsibilities for direct reports, including performance reviews, coaching, development, promotion recommendations, and staffing support. Separately led larger multidisciplinary project teams through assigned workstream authority, priorities, quality review, and delivery coordination.
• Supported engagement recovery, Agile adoption, and difficult delivery environments by diagnosing problems, rebuilding alignment, adapting delivery approaches, and maintaining client confidence through changing requirements.
• Contributed regularly to RFPs, pursuits, pre-sales, and business development by interpreting requirements, shaping solution narratives, defining workstreams and team structures, developing effort and cost estimates, supporting staffing models, and presenting proposed solutions to clients in person and remotely.
• Maintained commercial awareness around scope, staffing, effort, margin, delivery commitments, and client expectations while supporting product and transformation work.

Select Enterprise Clients

Banking & Financial Services
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), J.P. Morgan Chase, American Express, Wells Fargo, Discover Financial Services, TIAA, Dun & Bradstreet

Insurance & Benefits
Prudential Financial, AIG, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Healthcare & Life Sciences
Edgepark Medical Supplies / Cardinal Health, Zoetis / Pfizer Animal Health

International Development & Professional Associations
World Bank Group, CFA Institute

Real Estate & Housing
AvalonBay Communities, Sotheby’s International Realty / Realogy

Consumer, Commerce & Technology
The Coca-Cola Company, American Tire Distributors (ATD), BlueTriton Brands / ReadyRefresh, Microsoft, EZCorp, PepsiCo