A'verria Martin, PhD
San Diego,CA
Summary
Dynamic, results-driven leader with 20 years of research and operations experience. Proven ability to lead and scale organizations, drive complex business initiatives, deliver consistent executive support, develop and execute against strategic plans to improve operational functioning, and provide authentic and tranformational leadership.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director, UX Research Strategic Operations
ServiceNow
San Diego, CA
08.2022 - Current
- Drive key strategic initiatives from concept to impactful completion, fostering enduring partnerships with internal and cross-organizational leadership to guarantee alignment, reduce barriers, and ensure organizational success.
- Guide a robust planning process that aligns with the business and defines strategic priorities, measures success using OKRs, creates greater visibility and points of connection, and encourages continued engagement to deliver impactful work.
- Responsible for financial strategy, including partnering in annual planning process, allocating and distributing financial resources to meet strategic objectives, and continuous discretionary budget oversight.
- Shape and execute against the vision, mission, and strategy for the organization, as the trusted strategic advisor and counsel to the VP of UX Research & Insights.
- Support the growth of our Leadership Team through democratic leadership, consistently assessing resources and capabilities to accomplish key initiatives while providing supportive mentorship and individualized coaching.
- Set organizational rhythms and maintain a backlog of strategic priorities. Support the tracking of these efforts to ensure that team is aligned, energized, and that progress is being made.
- Advance organizational design to meet the dynamic needs of the business and increase effectiveness. Drive talent strategy, translating needs into recommendations for building, growing, and retaining talent, spearhead programs that advance our team, close talent gaps, increase interconnectedness, strengthen our external brand, and partner with talent acquisition to attract top talent to join our team.
- Continue to oversee and ensure the success of the Research Operations team to advance the organization’s operational practices, to increase efficiencies in how the team works, including collaboration, tooling, facilities, project tracking and reporting.
- Note: Promotion from Director to Senior Director, March 2024
Director, Research Operations
ServiceNow
San Diego, CA
03.2021 - 08.2022
- Established and maintained our Research Operations practice responsible for enabling a global team of 100 researchers and focused on customer recruitment, data integrity and oversight, enablement and execution, culture initiatives, talent acquisition, vendor management, and forecasting and strategy.
- Delivered organizational leadership: Accountable for leadership guidance and people management, high-level strategy, executive meeting preparation, and internal and external communications.
- Managed and grew team members through strategic leadership and individualized coaching, consistently assessing resources and capabilities to accomplish team goals.
- Responsible for operational spending, including development of tracking system, as well as continuous budgetary planning resulting in a 200+% increase in discretionary budget year-over-year.
- Accountable for all business aspects of procurement and vendor relations including governance, risk, and human subject’s projection.
- Drove organizational talent acquisition strategy focused on attracting and retaining highly-talented team members resulting in 10x growth in the 3.5 years (i.e., 10 to 100).
- Act as escalation point for departmental issues or concerns, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, employee engagement, and open communication.
- Sr Manager to Director level change effective March 2021.
Director, UX Research - AI Platform
ServiceNow
San Diego, CA
01.2021 - 06.2022
- Led a team of UX Researchers dedicated to creating innovative AI-powered solutions that accelerate customer success and ensure strong AI adoption across the ServiceNow portfolio.
- Grew team from two to seven researchers with diverse expertise and at differing levels over the course of 18 months.
- Established close working relationships with stakeholders and their respective teams to create strategic roadmaps and deliver on key UX research initiatives for the AI Platform Portfolio.
Director of Research
UC San Diego
San Diego, CA
08.2014 - 12.2018
- Managed strategic operations of an Organized Research Unit focused on geriatric mental health and aging, with an endowment valued at over 17 million dollars, 5 million dollars in annual grant funding, and 120 faculty members.
- Collaborated with colleagues to produce grant applications resulting in 10 million dollars in new grant funding in two years.
- Directly responsible for research design, strategic planning, identification of key objectives, and formation and evaluation of proposed budgets.
- Supervised 15-20 research personnel including data management, research associates, and research coordinators. Responsibilities included identification and hiring of new staff, in addition to ongoing management and evaluation of personnel.
- Mentored graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows on research methodology, protocol development, data analysis and dissemination of findings.
- Competently conducted quantitative and qualitative research; resulting in 27 peer-reviewed articles, 4 book chapters, and 16 presentations over academic career.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist/Supervisor
Family Guidance and Therapy Center
San Diego, CA
02.2012 - 12.2018
- Provided strength-based, systems therapy from a socio-cultural attachment lens to individuals, couples, and families.
- Unique ability to connect with clients, which supported the deepening and processing of emotion, harmonization of beliefs, and substantial therapeutic growth.
- Conducted weekly individual supervision for MFT Associates who provide therapy to individuals, couples, and families advancing their development of clinical skills, theory development, monitoring of self-care, and maintenance of work-life balance.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
UC San Diego
San Diego, CA
08.2012 - 08.2014
- Developed and psychometrically tested two multidimensional measures of resilience that have been published in peer-reviewed journals and are available for use.
- Independently wrote two successful research grants focused on accelerated aging in schizophrenia, resulting in three years of National Institute of Health (NIH) funding .
- Acquired advanced statistical training in quantitative analysis and developed proficiency in qualitative analysis.
Study Coordinator/Research Associate
UC San Diego/Veteran's Medical Research Foundation
San Diego, CA
01.2005 - 07.2012
- Oversight of all operational aspects of a NIH funded, longitudinal antipsychotic medication study, including managing staff, preparing quarterly data safety reports, recruitment and participant management, and analysis of study data.
- Reliably administered psychiatric rating scales, and measures of neuropsychological functioning, physical health, quality of life and disability to older adults with psychosis.
- Developed Institutional Review Board materials including research plans, informed consent forms, HIPAA authorizations, and recruitment materials.
Education
Ph.D. - Marital and Family Therapy
Loma Linda University
2012
Master of Arts - Marital and Family Therapy
Alliant International University
2008
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
University of California, San Diego
2005
Skills
- Passionate & empathetic leader
- Skilled in strategic planning & alignment
- Exceptionally efficient & detail oriented
- Expertise in Research & Development
- Cultivates an atmosphere of connection
- Excellent verbal & written communication
Affiliations
Honors & Awards
- User Interviews Yearbook Class of 2022, Essential voice in user research
- ServiceNow, The Captain EO (Experience Organization) Leadership Award, 2020
- University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year (Honoree), 2017
- University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Staff at Work Special Mention for having made a positive impact on work climate, 2017
- Loma Linda University, School of Behavioral Health, Outstanding Doctoral Student (Academically First in Class), 2012
Activities
- Invited speaker: All roads lead to Rome: Pathways for a career in research operations, Re+Ops Inaugural Conference, June 2022
- Facilitator: Power of 10 Women's Leadership Group. Advancing Women in Tech, Monthly cadence, May 2021-May 2022.
- Secretary: World Psychiatric Association, Section: Positive Psychiatry, 2015-2018
Timeline
Senior Director, UX Research Strategic Operations
ServiceNow
08.2022 - Current
Director, Research Operations
ServiceNow
03.2021 - 08.2022
Director, UX Research - AI Platform
ServiceNow
01.2021 - 06.2022
Director of Research
UC San Diego
08.2014 - 12.2018
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
UC San Diego
08.2012 - 08.2014
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist/Supervisor
Family Guidance and Therapy Center
02.2012 - 12.2018
Study Coordinator/Research Associate
UC San Diego/Veteran's Medical Research Foundation
01.2005 - 07.2012
Ph.D. - Marital and Family Therapy
Loma Linda University
Master of Arts - Marital and Family Therapy
Alliant International University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
University of California, San Diego
Similar Profiles
EMILY ABDNOUREMILY ABDNOUR
Senior Manager, Program Management – STEP EDU at SERVICENOWSenior Manager, Program Management – STEP EDU at SERVICENOW
ZECH LEONGZECH LEONG
Alliance Director, Asia at ServiceNowAlliance Director, Asia at ServiceNow
Ryan W. FairRyan W. Fair
Manager, Sales Operations U.S. Public Sector at ServiceNowManager, Sales Operations U.S. Public Sector at ServiceNow