SAM VAGHANI
Chicago,IL
Summary
UX Research Operations / Program Operations specialist with MBA training and a systems-oriented approach to enabling research teams at scale through streamlined workflows, clear documentation, and measurable process improvement. Experienced orchestrating multi-stakeholder programs end-to-end intake, coordination, tracking, reporting, and continuous optimization building strong working agreements and trust across Product & Technology partners. Brings AI-enabled workflow support and governance-minded knowledge management that improves visibility, reduces friction, and helps teams deliver consistent, high-quality research impact across the organization.
"Live to be innovative for tomorrow with the traditions of yesterday at your foundation"
- Sam Vaghani, Sharing Commonality, Bringing Commonsense
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
5
5
Certificate
Work History
Operations & Strategy Lead
Synergy Capital Management / Vaghani International LLC
01.2016 - Current
- Designed and optimized structured workflows, documentation systems, and tracking processes supporting multiple concurrent initiatives across operations, analytics, and strategy improving ROI by 40%.
- Managed project timelines, dependencies, and communications to ensure execution continuity and reduce operational friction.
- Organized research, business analysis, and stakeholder inputs into structured summaries and decision-support materials.
- Applied process improvement methodologies to identify inefficiencies and streamline workflows across initiatives.
- Leveraged AI-enabled tools to enhance documentation, workflow support, and internal operational efficiency.
- Optimized documentation practices ensuring consistency and traceability across sensitive, multi-stakeholder workstreams.
Founder & Operations Lead
Eagle Energy Solutions
01.2009 - 01.2016
- Built and managed operational processes across client projects, including coordination, documentation, reporting, and execution support improving churn & retention by 75%.
- Created standard operating procedures and reusable templates to improve repeatability and project efficiency.
- Developed tracking systems to monitor timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder follow-ups across multiple initiatives.
- Coordinated across clients, vendors, and partners to maintain alignment and drive execution.
- Identified process gaps and implemented improvements to streamline workflows and reduce delays.
Project Management Intern
Jacobs
06.2008 - 08.2008
- Supported project coordination, reporting, and documentation for a large-scale infrastructure modernization program.
- Assisted with tracking schedules, organizing materials, and maintaining structured project documentation improving productivity by more than 25% per department.
- Contributed to communication and coordination across multiple stakeholders.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Executive Management
06-2019
- Concentrations: Executive Management, Finance, Strategy, Leadership, and Business Analytics
- Honors Coursework: Leadership in the 21st Century, New Business Ventures & Entrepreneurship, Financial Management I, Business Analytics & Capstone
- Advanced Topics: Corporate Strategy, Change Management, AI in Business Decision-Making, ESG & Sustainable Finance, Warner Bros. “Warnerverse” Strategic Growth Capstone
- Relevant Frameworks: Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT, Kotter Change Management, ROIC vs. WACC, Capital Budgeting, Strategic Analysis
- GPA: 3.3 / 4.0 | Final-Year GPA: 3.67 / 4.0 | Honors GPA: 3.6 / 4.0
Bachelor of Science - Business Technology Management
01-2009
- Relevant Coursework & Training: Leadership Through Teams, AI Microcredential, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- Recognition: Featured in Purdue Alumnus Magazine “Gold, Black, and Green” issue for Purdue sustainability leadership and student organization development
- Research Project: The Burj Khalifa, plastic pollution, and UNI refillable PET / plastic bottle solutions
- GPA: Business & Management GPA: 3.85 / 4.0
Skills
- UX Research Operations Support
- Research Program Coordination
- Workflow Design & Optimization
- Participant Management Support
- Knowledge Management & Taxonomy
- Documentation & Playbooks
- Process Improvement (Lean Six Sigma)
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Reporting & Tracking
- AI-Enabled Workflow Systems
- Governance & Operational Consistency
Accomplishments
- Designed and implemented the Synergy Matrix AI Triadic Optimization framework, a systems-based approach to improving workflow efficiency, documentation quality, and decision support by integrating data, process, and stakeholder alignment
- Built scalable workflow and documentation systems that improved coordination and visibility across multiple concurrent initiatives, reducing operational friction and improving execution consistency
- Developed a continuity-oriented research operations framework, “Continuity Anchor” in LLMs to structure knowledge management, participant coordination, governance practices, and insight tracking across teams
- Standardized reporting and tracking processes, enabling clearer visibility into project status, dependencies, and stakeholder alignment across workstreams
- Implemented process improvements using Lean Six Sigma principles, streamlining workflows and reducing delays in multi-stakeholder environments
- Enhanced documentation quality and operational efficiency through AI-enabled tools, improving internal workflows and reducing manual effort in reporting and coordination
- Established structured knowledge systems and taxonomy approaches, improving accessibility and reuse of research, analysis, and project materials
Affiliations
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - Member 2021
- Executives Club of Chicago - International Business Forum Member (2016-2023)
- Edelman Trust Barometer (2020-2021)
Timeline
Operations & Strategy Lead - Synergy Capital Management / Vaghani International LLC
01.2016 - Current
Founder & Operations Lead - Eagle Energy Solutions
01.2009 - 01.2016
Project Management Intern - Jacobs
06.2008 - 08.2008
Jack Welch Management Institute - Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive Management
Purdue University - Bachelor of Science, Business Technology Management
Certification
- Digital Transformation Using AI/ML with Google Cloud — Google Cloud Skills Boost (2026)
- Enterprise Product Management Fundamentals — Microsoft (2026)
- Demystifying AI, Understanding Risks, and Shaping the Future — Purdue University (2026)
- Deloitte DBriefs - Building Your AI in Finance Roadmap Certificate
- Enhance Organizational Communications with Slack — Coursera (2026)
- AI for Finance Specialization — AI Business School (2025)
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt — Purdue University
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Hindi
Limited Working
Spanish
Elementary
Interests
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
- Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (AR) Development
- Video Gaming
- Sustainable Tech Innovations
- Web Development and Design
- Watching Movies and TV Shows
References
Available upon request
TOOLS & PLATFORM FAMILIARITY
- Collaboration & Productivity: Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint
- Research & Design Ecosystem: Working knowledge of Figma, Maze, Dovetail; familiarity with research repositories, taxonomy systems, and insight organization
- Analytics & Reporting: Power BI, Tableau, workflow tracking, structured reporting
- AI & Enterprise Technology: Google Cloud, IBM AI concepts, workflow automation tools
VALUE PROPOSITION
VALUE PROPOSITION (ROI / Bottom Line)
- Strong systems thinker who brings structure to ambiguous, cross-functional environments—reducing coordination overhead and execution drift
- Combines operations discipline with AI-enabled workflow support and digital transformation awareness to shorten cycle times and increase throughput
- Scales research workflows, documentation systems, and stakeholder coordination in SaaS organizations—improving visibility, consistency, and delivery reliability
- Governance-minded approach to knowledge management that increases insight accessibility, reduces rework, and strengthens research-to-product adoption
- ROI-focused operator who improves the bottom line by minimizing operational friction, accelerating decision-making, and maximizing the impact of UX Research across Product & Technology
- Positioned to contribute to UX Research Operations, Program Operations, or Design Operations teams