ASEN AKUME
Director Of Product Management
Columbus,OH
Summary
Product Management leader with extensive experience delivering solutions to critical business and customer challenges. I have developed and implemented strategic roadmaps that improve customer experiences while driving revenue growth. My focus is on empowering delivery teams to achieve measurable impact. Additionally, I am passionate about cross-functional collaboration, creative problem-solving, and leveraging customer insights.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Product Management Consultant
Launch Consulting Group
12.2024 - Current
- Guide clients in formulating robust digital transformation strategies.
- Establish a clear transformation roadmap and ensure its effective execution.
- Recommend Product Delivery best practices ensuring continuous improvement after the engagement concludes.
Director Of Product Management (Omni Channel Solutions)
Big Lots Inc.
04.2024 - 09.2024
- Collaborated with key stakeholders to establish product strategy for portfolio of omni-channel applications (SAP, OMS, POS, Website, mobile app).
- Led end-to-end selection of mobile app (iOS, Android) development partner, defining project scope and ensuring implementation partner's capabilities aligned with strategic objectives.
- Managed a team of five product owners, overseeing the delivery of key initiatives such as Amazon Today, Order In Store Solution, and Freshworks Customer Support Solution.
- Worked with over 40 stakeholders from 7 departments to establish a new feature request process, a key step in transitioning to a product operating model.
Director Of Product Management (eCommerce)
Big Lots Inc.
04.2023 - 04.2024
- Developed and executed strategic roadmap for Biglots.com, leading to the website accounting for 49% of all visits to Big Lots and 38% of all sales originating online.
- Drove the feature delivery lifecycle from discovery to launch, working collaboratively with UX, Engineering, Program Management and business stakeholders.
- Established process for leveraging customer insights as part of feature delivery lifecycle.
- Provided oversight for the defect resolution process, ensuring critical defects were resolved promptly.
Manager of Product Management (eCommerce)
Big Lots Inc.
04.2021 - 04.2023
- Guided product owners and cross-functional team through the identification, prioritization and delivery of customer experience optimizations.
- Achieved over $300M in Sales in FY 2022 through optimization of the customer experience.
- Delivered enhanced omnichannel capabilities, including a new Same Day Delivery solution and a Ship from Store solution.
- Consistently delivered NPS scores above 80%.
Product Owner (eCommerce)
Big Lots Inc.
11.2016 - 04.2021
- Executed essential omni-channel strategies, including BOPIS and Same Day Delivery, as part of a strategic roadmap, completing them on accelerated timelines.
- Led the implementation of personalization capabilities, optimizing search and product recommendations to improve product discovery and boost website conversion rates by 53% within two weeks of launch.
- Collaborated with cross-functional partners (marketing, IT, UI/UX, Analytics) to identify, prioritize and deliver additional enhancements for biglots.com.
- Conducted market research as part of the feature delivery process, leveraging customer insight to validate features before launch.
eCommerce Operations Manager
DSW Inc.
12.2012 - 08.2016
- Represented the eCommerce business across critical cross-functional projects, processes and activities. Served as the key point of contact, collaborating with IT, Merchandising, Marketing, Customer Service, Supply Chain and Finance.
- Project Core Team member for several omni-channel initiatives; Ship From Store, Buy Online Pick Up In Store, Buy Online Ship to Store, ATG web platform upgrade and PayPal implementation.
- Implemented several process improvements to streamline eCommerce operations, including expediting the timeline for inventory transfer between business units from 8 weeks to 2 weeks.
Operations Supervisor
The Limited
06.2007 - 12.2012
- Served as liaison with 3rd Party eCommerce fulfillment/Customer Service provider.
- Partnered with internal and 3rd party customer service team to resolve escalated customer issues.
- Managed process for transferring surplus inventory from stores to fulfillment center to fulfill customer demand including the development of detailed reporting tracking performance. Achieved a 90% fulfillment rate.
- Supervised the execution of daily online promotional activity.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Strategic Communications
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OHSkills
- Agile
- Creative Problem Solver
- ECommerce
- Product Roadmap
- Customer Insights
Websites
Accomplishments
- Developed a digital property that became a window to the brand.
- 49% of all visits to Big Lots took place online.
- 38% of all transactions originated online.
- Exceeded $300M sales in 2022 through strategic optimizations.
- Achieved the top ranking in Total Retail's Top 100 Omni-Channel Retailers list in 2020.
- Coordinated 40+ stakeholders to streamline operations across departments.
Timeline
Senior Product Management Consultant
Launch Consulting Group
12.2024 - Current
Director Of Product Management (Omni Channel Solutions)
Big Lots Inc.
04.2024 - 09.2024
Director Of Product Management (eCommerce)
Big Lots Inc.
04.2023 - 04.2024
Manager of Product Management (eCommerce)
Big Lots Inc.
04.2021 - 04.2023
Product Owner (eCommerce)
Big Lots Inc.
11.2016 - 04.2021
eCommerce Operations Manager
DSW Inc.
12.2012 - 08.2016
Operations Supervisor
The Limited
06.2007 - 12.2012
Bachelor of Arts - Strategic Communications
The Ohio State University
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