Alena Durzhinskaia

Early-stage direct-to-consumer grocery startup.

• Developed an application roadmap, led an external development team, and integrated the user app with the ERP.
• Conducted customer development interviews, formulated hypotheses, and prioritized the backlog.
• Built and implemented a dynamic pricing automation system based on competitor data.
• Created a go-to-market strategy and managed performance marketing efforts within budget.
• Launched a mobile app with over 10,000 downloads.
• Reduced manual pricing updates by 90% through an automated engine.
• Improved onboarding flow, doubling the conversion rate in the first month after launch.

Leading Russian OTA with international expansion.

• Conducted a UX audit of the booking flow across the website and mobile app for international markets.
• Prioritized bugs and UI issues impacting conversion, and aligned fixes with the dev and QA teams.
• Collaborated with the finance team to assess and refine the international pricing model.
• Developed a product roadmap focused on conversion rate optimisation for non-Russian users.
• Delivered a CRO-focused roadmap as a base for international growth.
• Identified and removed key UX friction points in the checkout, improving path-to-purchase clarity.

Global leader in the FMCG sector across confectionery, pet care, and food.

• Defined and executed multi-year brand strategies, including portfolio, pricing, media, and innovation.
• Led cross-functional teams across R&D, supply chain, sales, and creative to deliver launches and campaigns.
• Managed approximately $15 million annual budget, ensuring efficiency and ROI across ATL, BTL channels.
• Applied consumer research and market analytics to guide positioning and media planning.
• Drove a 9% CAGR for Cesar through a portfolio strategy and a refreshed communication platform.
• Delivered a 10% value uplift via the launch of the Whiskas Sterile line based on consumer segmentation.
• Increased Cesar's media reach by 25% at a flat spend by optimizing the channel mix and creatives.

Global leader in generics and biosimilars.

• Conducted market and consumer research to identify growth opportunities for OTC products
• Created promotional materials in collaboration with medical and legal teams
• Worked closely with key opinion leaders to develop educational content for physicians and conferences
• Supported digital marketing pilots, trade campaigns, and packaging updates
• Developed promotion strategy for gastroenterology portfolio targeted at physicians
• Prepared launch materials for new OTC product Ortanol, tailored to pharmacists and medical audiences

• Taught brand strategy, consumer insights, and marketing fundamentals
• Designed course programs and case-based assignments grounded in real-world business practice
• Conducted live webinars, student mentorship, and content development based on learner needs
• Mentored 100+ students across executive and graduate-level courses
• Developed full curriculum for practical brand management track