Aarti Gilda
Chicago,IL
Summary
AI Product Manager and IT Program Leader with 14 years of experience in enterprise-scale digital transformation utilizing AI and analytics. Expertise in managing complete AI product lifecycles, from identifying use cases to implementing solutions. Strong collaboration with cross-functional teams to achieve intelligent automation and predictive insights. Proven ability to define product roadmaps and align AI initiatives with strategic business objectives across various industries.Combines technical fluency, stakeholder management, and Agile product leadership to drive innovation, automation, and ROI.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
AI Program Manager
United Airlines
Chicago, IL
04.2025 - 10.2025
- Lead end-to-end implementation of AI-powered Conversational Assistants to enhance customer service efficiency
- Collaborate with UX, Development, QA, and Business teams to define product roadmaps and release plans in Agile (Scrum/Kanban) environments.
- Manage product backlogs, sprints, and demo cycles using JIRA, PowerBI; report on KPIs including containment rate, CSAT, and channel shift.
- Drive secure API-based backend integrations to support omnichannel AI assistants (web, mobile, and IVR).
- Partner with enterprise IT and Legal to ensure secure, compliant AI deployments in alignment with data privacy standards.
Senior Solution Consultant / Project Manager
Emergys Group (Accscient)
Chicago, IL
12.2022 - 04.2025
- Own end-to-end AI product delivery for clients, from discovery to deployment and post-launch optimization.
- Partner with customers to identify and prioritize AI / GenAI use cases that drive tangible business value.
- Define data collection and enrichment strategies with Data Science and Engineering teams to enable model training and accuracy improvement.
- Deliver enterprise-grade AI solutions including:
• AI Recommendation Engine – Implemented personalized insight model that increased decision accuracy by 30%.
• Should-Cost Predictive Model – Deployed AI-driven pricing and costing solution, improving procurement accuracy by 20%.
• GenAI Chatbot for Employees – Built LLM-based assistant for document search and HR queries, reducing response time by 45%.
• Process Mining for O2C & P2P – Leveraged UiPath Process Mining to identify automation opportunities and cut cycle time by 25%. - Define roadmaps, MVP scope, and KPIs; manage Agile ceremonies and stakeholder reviews.
- Build PMO standards for AI program delivery, ensuring governance and traceability.
Business Unit Head – Testing & RPA
Cogniwize (Accscient)
Pune, Maharashtra
10.2021 - 07.2023
- Established and scaled the Testing & RPA practice, building a global team of ~100 QA and automation professionals. Developed service offerings in QA automation and RPA consulting.
- Identified new business opportunities and spearheaded project delivery, generating $12M in new revenue within the first year.
- Pioneered QA and RPA strategy consulting, achieving up to a 90% reduction in manual effort through targeted automation solutions.
- Implemented shift-left testing and standardized QA processes, driving a 30% reduction in operational costs while improving process efficiency.
- Oversaw resource allocation, budgeting, and infrastructure planning to support business unit growth and delivery.
Pre-Sales Lead - Testing & RPA
Cogniwize (Accscient)
Pune, Maharashtra
12.2020 - 10.2021
- Drove pre-sales efforts for QA and RPA services, collaborating with sales to create compelling proposals and demos. Contributed to a 25% revenue growth by securing new client engagements.
- Conducted market analysis to position testing and automation solutions; developed ROI-based proofs of concept to demonstrate value to prospects.
- Built relationships with C-level stakeholders, understanding pain points, and aligning solutions to business needs.
- Developed technical presentations and RFP responses to ensure accurate scoping.
- Partnered with marketing on targeted campaigns and thought leadership initiatives to enhance brand visibility in the QA and automation space.
Project Manager – Testing
Capgemini
Chicago, Illinois
01.2017 - 11.2019
- Managed multiple QA projects including manual, automation, and performance testing for Salesforce implementations.
- Led five QA teams across onshore and offshore locations in planning, estimation, and execution.
- Integrated automated API tests into CI/CD pipelines, enabling service virtualization for shift-left testing.
- Coordinated daily war-room meetings with leadership and cross-functional teams to prioritize tasks and mitigate risks.
- Developed executive-level reports and dashboards tracking quality metrics to inform process improvements.
- Enhanced team efficiency and performance by leveraging insights from quality metrics analysis.
Project Lead – Testing
Capgemini
Pune, Maharashtra
01.2015 - 12.2016
- Directed a team of 80 QA engineers on POS and mobile application projects.
- Implemented Integrated Lean Six Sigma processes, reducing test cycle time and regression cases by 30%.
- Defined project scope and allocated resources for dynamic delivery schedules.
- Adjusted plans to meet shifting targets and requirements.
Team Lead/Onshore Lead
iGate
Chicago, Illinois
05.2013 - 01.2015
- Directed QA teams for mobile and POS software testing, enhancing efficiency through 90% offshore resource usage.
- Onboarded and mentored offshore testers, improving overall team performance.
- Developed comprehensive test plans and cases, cutting manual testing execution time by 50%.
- Managed test case tracking in JIRA, streamlining defect reporting processes.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align testing with business requirements and timelines.
Senior Test Engineer/Test Engineering Analyst
Patni Computer Systems
Gandhinagar, Gujrat
05.2010 - 05.2013
- Authored and automated test scripts based on business requirements, cutting test execution time by 50%.
- Managed the defect life cycle in JIRA and HP Quality Center, facilitating rapid fixes and improvements.
- Conducted usability and regression testing on Windows, Android, and iOS platforms to ensure high-quality mobile product releases.
- Partnered with developers and product owners to clarify functionality and resolve defects efficiently.
- Executed functional and regression test cases for enterprise applications, and maintained detailed test documentation and defect logs.
- Created test plans and schedules; reported daily status to project managers to ensure transparency and timely issue resolution.
Education
Information Science
PDA College of Engineering
Gulbarga01-2009
Skills
- AI / GenAI Product Lifecycle
- Process Mining RPA
- Use Case Discovery
- Agile Coaching & Scrum Mastery
- Program and project delivery management
- Stakeholder & Executive Communication
Agile, Waterfall & Hybrid Methodologies - Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Budgeting, Forecasting & P&L Management
- Resource Planning & Development
- Process Improvement & Standardization
- SDLC Management
- IT Transformation & Automation Delivery
- Agile methodologies
- Hyperautomation implementation
Career Highlights
- AI Program Leadership: Directed end-to-end delivery of AI-powered Conversational Assistants at United Airlines, improving CSAT by 12% and reducing call volume by 30%.
- Strategic AI Product Development: Delivered Recommendation Engines, Should-Cost Models, and Employee GenAI Chatbots that drove a combined $5M+ in business impact for global clients.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Partnered with Data Science, UX, DevOps, and Legal teams to design, deploy, and scale secure and compliant AI applications across multiple industries.
- Process Intelligence & Automation: Implemented Process Mining (O2C & P2P) frameworks that reduced process cycle times by 25% and identified automation opportunities worth $1.2M annually.
- Practice Growth & Revenue Impact: Built and scaled RPA/AI consulting practice to $12M revenue within a year, achieving 90% reduction in manual effort and 30% cost savings for clients.
- Trusted Advisor: Partnered with enterprise clients to shape AI/GenAI roadmaps, establish data readiness strategies, and foster AI literacy through enablement workshops.
Technical Skills
- Project Tools: JIRA, MS Project, Azure DevOps, Confluence, Smartsheet, Power BI
- AI & GenAI Concepts: LLMs (Large Language Models), Prompt Engineering, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), NLP Fundamentals, AI Product Lifecycle, Data Strategy & Readiness, MLOps Awareness
- Methodologies: Agile (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe), Waterfall, Hybrid, SDLC
- Testing Applications & Platforms: POS (Point of Sale), Mobile (iOS & Android), Web, API – covering both functional and non-functional testing (regression, UAT, performance, integration, and automation).
- Technologies: RPA (UiPath, Automation Anywhere), AI/ML, Process Mining
- Domains: Aviation | Retail | BFSI | Manufacturing
Certification
- UI Path: Certified Pre-Sales Engineer & Project Manager
- Automation Anywhere: Program Manager Certification
- AutomationEdge: Foundation Certification
- Capgemini: Engagement Management Certification
References & Recommendations
https://www.linkedin.com/recs/received/?senderId=angelica-zdanewicz-58135bb&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_messaging_conversation_detail%3BedbDXUtrStSGPr6jkFOdxg%3D%3D
Timeline
AI Program Manager
United Airlines
04.2025 - 10.2025
Senior Solution Consultant / Project Manager
Emergys Group (Accscient)
12.2022 - 04.2025
Business Unit Head – Testing & RPA
Cogniwize (Accscient)
10.2021 - 07.2023
Pre-Sales Lead - Testing & RPA
Cogniwize (Accscient)
12.2020 - 10.2021
Project Manager – Testing
Capgemini
01.2017 - 11.2019
Project Lead – Testing
Capgemini
01.2015 - 12.2016
Team Lead/Onshore Lead
iGate
05.2013 - 01.2015
Senior Test Engineer/Test Engineering Analyst
Patni Computer Systems
05.2010 - 05.2013
Information Science
PDA College of Engineering