Michael Leal
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Accomplished Principal Product Manager with 15 years of experience in data-driven, platform-oriented SaaS solutions. Specializes in defining reporting strategies, scaling insights, and accelerating product development through integrated front-end platforms. Collaborates effectively with cross-functional teams to create reliable reporting tools that enhance user adoption and drive business outcomes.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Product Manager, Design System & UX
Buildertrend
10.2023 - Current
- Defined platform strategy and roadmap for shared Design System components, driving 85% adoption and reducing feature build time by 20–30%.
- Standardized platform interaction patterns, enhancing user experience and delivering consistent customer value.
- Established UX and accessibility improvements, raising pages to meet WCAG AA standards
- Partnered with analytics teams to gather usage data, informing strategic platform investment decisions.
- Led cross-functional teams to develop product roadmaps and prioritize features.
- Collaborated with engineering to define product specifications and user requirements.
- Conducted market research to identify trends and customer needs, shaping feature development.
- Analyzed user data to inform product decisions and enhance user experience.
- Facilitated stakeholder meetings to gather feedback and align product vision.
- Developed and managed project timelines to ensure thetimely delivery of products.
Product Manager, Web Platform and Mobile
DonorDrive
12.2019 - 10.2023
- Launched reporting and analytics capabilities supporting 30K+ active users, improving retention by 14%.
- Delivered data-driven integrations that doubled fundraising output for key customer segments.
- Led experimentation and usability testing producing a 13% lift from analytics-informed features.
- Defined product vision and strategy for donor management software, aligning features with user needs and market demands.
- Prioritized product backlog by integrating customer feedback and market trends to enhance feature relevance.
- Engaged customers through interviews to refine product vision and identify key features for upcoming releases.
Lead IT Analyst / Product Owner, IT Strategy
Duke Energy
Charlotte, NC
12.2009 - 12.2019
- Delivered enterprise KPI and reporting platforms enabling data-driven decision-making for 50K+ employees.
- Generated over $50M in operational savings through data-driven process optimization.
- Built analytics frameworks enhancing leadership visibility into finance and operations, facilitating strategic insights.
- Led large-scale requirements initiatives defining long-term enterprise data strategy, aligning with organizational goals.
Product Assistant / On-Set Roles
Freelancer
- “Marriott Bonvoy | AMEX” Production Co: The Bindery Client: American Express
- “Home Improvement Heroes” Production Co: CMS Productions Client: Menards
- “Coley Home” Production Co: WonderWorld Film+Video Client: Cole Home Decor
- “VP of Party” Production Co: Chirp Films Client: Harrah's Casino
Education
MBA - Business Administration And Management
The Pennsylvania State University
State College05-2026
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
Coastal Carolina University
ConwaySkills
- Product strategy and management
- Reporting and analytics
- Front-end platform leadership
- Design systems and thinking
- KPI development
- Business case creation
- Product development lifecycle
- Data-driven decision-making
- Go-to-market strategy formulation
- Roadmapping and planning
- Stakeholder engagement
- Customer discovery techniques
- UX collaboration strategies
- Agile and Scrum methodologies
- Enterprise SaaS expertise
Timeline
Senior Product Manager, Design System & UX
Buildertrend
10.2023 - Current
Product Manager, Web Platform and Mobile
DonorDrive
12.2019 - 10.2023
Lead IT Analyst / Product Owner, IT Strategy
Duke Energy
12.2009 - 12.2019
Product Assistant / On-Set Roles
Freelancer
MBA - Business Administration And Management
The Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
Coastal Carolina University