Charlotte Shimko

Amazon Product Manager in Alexa | Product Strategy Leader | Driving Digital Transformation in SaaS and Mobile Apps | Proven Impact in Business Intelligence, Data, and Customer-Centric Innovation

 Summary

I am a tech leader with over 15 years of consulting and in-house experience in product management, program management, and data analytics, committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). My expertise spans data management, product strategy, and successful cross-functional teams, most recently at Amazon.

At Amazon, I have honed dual skills in product and program management. In my role with Amazon Alexa Smart Home, I retained ~$11M in monthly revenue by developing a robust product strategy, defining a targeted product roadmap, and leading a cross-functional, senior VP-level initiative to improve third-party partner integrations with Alexa. This work drove a 15% year-over-year quality improvement, consistently meeting our key business goals.

Prior to Amazon, I developed and executed impactful data strategies, such as building and scaling a business intelligence department at a healthcare company, where data-driven decision-making enhanced financial performance by 25%. My approach is both strategic and hands-on, with a focus on actionable insights that drive growth.

Passionate about fostering inclusive environments, I believe diverse perspectives fuel innovation. I actively work to ensure that my teams feel empowered to bring their authentic selves and unique strengths to our shared goals, creating a culture where every voice is valued.

With a strong foundation in leading and mentoring high-performing teams, I collaborate effectively with engineering, sales, and customer support to build solutions that deliver impact. My technical background and continuous curiosity keep me attuned to emerging trends, ensuring operational excellence and sustainable growth.

Professional Skills

Product Strategy

At Amazon Alexa’s Smart Home organization, I led the development and execution of a strategic product roadmap that retained ~$11M in monthly revenue. This initiative focused on aligning product goals with customer needs and business objectives, resulting in a 15% year-over-year improvement in product quality and achieving a senior VP-level target. By leveraging data-driven insights and an agile approach to evolving customer feedback, I ensured a reliable, accurate user experience that strengthened customer satisfaction and retention. This success highlights my commitment to creating product strategies that deliver impactful, measurable results.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Throughout my career, I have successfully partnered with engineering, design, UX, research, and marketing teams to deliver cohesive, high-impact products. At Amazon, I worked closely with cross-functional partners to streamline third-party integrations for Alexa Smart Home, resulting in a seamless customer experience and a 30% improvement in operational efficiency. By fostering a collaborative environment and aligning stakeholders around shared objectives, I was able to bring complex projects to life, creating solutions that resonated with both internal teams and end-users alike.

Data-Driven Decision Making

I leverage data analytics, A/B testing, and customer insights to inform and refine product strategies, ensuring products meet evolving user needs and business goals. At Amazon Alexa Smart Home, I designed and implemented a centralized metric repository, enabling my team to visualize product performance in real-time and proactively address data integrity risks. This data-centric approach not only optimized feature development but also supported an iterative process that consistently enhanced customer satisfaction and engagement. My commitment to data-driven decision-making helps create products that deliver real, measurable value.

Additional Skills

Customer-centric design, end-to-end product lifecycle management, stakeholder management, Agile and Waterfall methodology experience, change management, go-to-market strategies, and KPI and success metric tracking.

Mastery of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides), project management tools (JIRA, Asana, Confluence), and data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, QuickSight).

Certifications in Agile Methodologies, Data Modeling, Data Warehouse Design, and Icertis Contract Management SaaS Solutions.

Experience

Amazon | Technical Senior Product Manager

November 2020 - Present

Technical Product Manager and Program Manager, initially leading Amazon’s Global Legal Tech's custom SaaS Contract Lifecycle Management solution. Transitioned to Amazon Halo, owning featured pages on the mobile app, and later joined Amazon Alexa Smart Home, driving third-party partner quality and customer experiences. Developed product vision, strategy, and roadmaps while executing end-to-end delivery. Became a subject matter expert across teams for product strategy and data analytics, supporting analytics teams to derive insights that enhanced customer satisfaction and engagement.

  • Product Strategy & Roadmap Development: Retained ~$11M in monthly Amazon revenue by developing product strategy, defining the product roadmap, and leading cross-functional initiatives to improve third-party partner integrations with Amazon Alexa, resulting in a 15% year-over-year quality improvement and achieving a senior VP-level goal.

  • Product Vision: Secured an Amazon senior VP-level goal by developing a product vision focused on delivering a reliable and accurate customer experience through a data-driven approach. Measured success using a weighted algorithm incorporating key quality metrics, such as latency and availability.

  • Team Development & Culture: Increased team engagement and reduced employee turnover by building, leading, and mentoring cross-functional teams while fostering a supportive, inclusive culture. Achieved through hosting lunch-and-learn sessions, founding an inclusivity working group, promoting open communication, and championing psychological safety initiatives that empowered employees to innovate and collaborate without fear of judgment.

  • Operational Efficiency: Revamped a backlog of 500+ unresolved requests by streamlining the intake process, developing standard operating procedures (SOPs), and aligning with SLAs. Improved operational efficiency by 30% and reduced high-severity issues by 80%, while training team members to scale improvements.

  • Product Development Lifecycle: Manages end-to-end delivery of key features, automating processes to enhance efficiency and align product launches with business objectives. Collaborating across teams to define business requirements and gather customer insights to refine features, improving satisfaction and usage. Leverages A/B testing, data analysis, and competitive analysis to drive engagement, maintain market position, and support GTM strategies.

  • Data Analytics: Defined the vision for a centralized metric repository, launching multiple dashboards to support quality data visualization. Identified risks and mitigated data integrity issues by collaborating across teams, implementing both short-term and long-term solutions. Took hands-on ownership of dashboard development to reduce engineering bandwidth and accelerate delivery.

  • Vendor Management: Negotiated the DocuSign contract for Amazon, reducing costs by over $100K by enforcing usage guidelines across the organization. Managed the vendor relationship and led the delivery of key features to streamline integration, reducing contract sign-off time by 25% to 5 business days and minimizing risk by automating manual steps in the contracting lifecycle.

Shimko Consulting, LLC | Technical Solutions Independent Consultant

March 2020 - Present

Engaged to lead program management and implementation of Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) SaaS solutions, driving successful project outcomes. Developed professional skills in communication, stakeholder management, content creation, and technical writing. Collaborated with cross-functional teams, defined product requirements, and ensured alignment between technical execution and business objectives.

  • Client Engagement & Project Delivery: Specifically requested by a client from CloudMoyo to lead a cross-functional team and client stakeholders in the successful launch of the Icertis Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) SaaS solution. Aligned all parties, streamlined processes, and mitigated risks to deliver on schedule, within budget, and achieve full adoption.

  • Project Recovery: Brought in to rescue troubled CloudMoyo projects by identifying issues, rebuilding client rapport, and defining corrective action plans. Successfully realigned projects to meet client expectations and get them back on track.

  • Cross-Functional Team Leadership: Directed a small cross-functional team and personally executed key deliverables to ensure seamless integration with ERP and electronic signature systems. Optimized contract lifecycle processes, resulting in increased operational efficiency and saving the equivalent of nine full-time employees’ worth of work.

  • Professional Development: Balanced technical and creative pursuits by taking courses in creative writing, building multiple websites, and launching a YouTube channel, expanding digital presence and engagement through content creation and web development. Leveraged these projects for professional development, enhancing creativity, communication skills, and adaptability.

Cloudmoyo | Director, Program Management

October 2015 - February 2020

Started as a Program Manager, reporting directly to the CEO, on a long-term consulting contract as a vendor at Microsoft, delivering a custom SaaS Contract Lifecycle Management product. Promoted to Director of Program Management, where I set up a new hub for Icertis Contract Management (ICM) SaaS professional services. Built and led a team of Program Managers, Product Managers, and Paralegals, supporting B2B clients across small, medium, and large organizations in various industry verticals, ensuring successful implementations and maximizing client value.

  • Product Lifecycle Leadership: Program Manager and Product Manager, owning the relationship with Microsoft to launch and maintain a custom-built Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution and customer support team. Defined product strategy, vision, and roadmap; streamlined contract workflows; and implemented automation to reduce manual processes, enhance operational efficiency, and mitigate risks associated with non-standard contract terms. This included implementing ServiceNow for ticketing support.

  • Data-Driven Architecture: Designed a scalable data architecture to support automated document generation, addressing complex contractual requirements with a flexible database structure and a multilingual translation feature supporting over 50 languages.

  • Team Leadership & Empowerment: Established the United States hub of the Global Professional Services delivery team, building and leading a team of Product Managers, Program Managers, and Paralegals to deliver Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) and AI-driven data migration solutions. Developed strategic processes, expanded service capabilities, and ensured successful delivery, driving customer satisfaction and operational scalability.

  • Cross-Functional Product Collaboration: Successfully led global cross-functional teams in the end-to-end delivery and adoption of Icertis Contract Management (ICM) SaaS solutions, integrating with enterprise systems such as SAP, Salesforce, Workday, DocuSign, and Adobe eSign. Consistently delivered projects within scope, on time, and within budget, achieving a 30% reduction in contracting times and a 25% increase in customer retention.

  • Customer Engagement & Satisfaction: Acted as a client engagement manager, supporting the entire sales lifecycle by participating in pre-sales efforts, delivering impactful demos, writing and negotiating contracts, and mentoring junior program managers. Served as a subject matter expert to foster client trust, revitalize struggling implementations, and maintain client satisfaction, driving cross-sell and upsell opportunities that generated an additional ~$5M in annual revenue.

Physician Partners of America | Director, Business Intelligence

May 2014 - October 2015

Initially hired as Director of Project Management, reporting directly to the CEO, for a rapidly growing healthcare startup, where I led cross-functional teams to deliver critical initiatives that supported business expansion. Laterally moved to Director of Business Intelligence, where I set up the BI function, developed strategic data initiatives, and implemented comprehensive analytics solutions to drive proactive decision-making, optimize operations, and enhance financial performance across the organization.

  • ERP Implementation & Operational Efficiency Faced with the need to scale business development and accounting functions during rapid growth, led multiple project teams in collaboration with third-party vendors to implement on-premise solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Dynamics AX. Successfully delivered these solutions, reducing manual tracking, enhancing system capabilities, streamlining workflows, and supporting the evolving needs of the business. Contributed to overall operational efficiency, significantly reducing the time spent by team members on daily responsibilities.

  • Business Intelligence Leadership Established and led a business intelligence team of analysts and engineers, creating a department dedicated to unified reporting across electronic medical records (EMR), pharmacy, and lab databases. Developed a strategic vision for data management, including defining data flows, models, and standards to ensure reliable reporting and drive business insights. Integrated disparate systems, improving the Business Intelligence infrastructure, and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations (e.g., HIPAA).

  • Revenue Optimization: Implemented a comprehensive Business Intelligence (BI) solution, including revenue cycle management dashboards and real-time financial reports (P&L statements, balance sheets), shifting decision-making from reactive to proactive, optimizing insurance payouts, and driving a 25% increase in quarterly revenue while enhancing overall operational performance.

  • Data Strategy: Executed a comprehensive data strategy, including developing policies, communication protocols, and best practices for data governance. Streamlined reporting processes, improved data accessibility, and collaborated cross-functionally to enhance decision-making capabilities across the organization, supporting key business goals.

  • Industry Expertise & Thought Leadership Became an industry subject matter expert (SME) in reporting for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Dynamics AX, and healthcare data. Regularly presented at SQL Saturday and Microsoft AXUG conferences, sharing best practices, and discussing insights and future trends like machine learning, AI, and big data. Served as Chapter President of the Florida AXUG, leading community initiatives and expanding the group’s reach and influence within the industry.

Clarifire | Product Owner

July 2012 - May 2014

Spearheaded product management and client delivery for five clients in the banking and mortgage industry including Fannie Mae. Managed cross-functional teams across engineering, data, business development, and go-to-market to enhance product capabilities, drive client delivery, and strengthen relationships.

  • Team Leadership: Led cross-functional teams to manage product enhancements and client delivery for Clarifire’s SaaS workflow automation tools, addressing workflow inefficiencies in the mortgage and banking industry. Directed teams of up to 15 people to increase product capabilities, resulting in improved operational efficiency and higher client satisfaction.

  • Client Management: Faced with keeping and expanding client relationships, managed and strengthened client engagements, resulting in expanded contracts and increased revenue, particularly within the finance and government sectors. Enhanced communication and delivery processes to foster trust and drive contract growth.

  • Reporting Integration: Implemented a third-party ad hoc reporting tool to address limited reporting capabilities. Led integration efforts, increasing client adoption rates, and enabling better insights into client usage patterns, which supported improved product development and client decision-making.

  • Feature Testing & Change Management: Developed regression and functional test plans for User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure high product quality. Tracked defects, collaborated with engineering teams to resolve issues, and ensured successful product deployment, enhancing product reliability and user experience.

Idea | Business System Analyst

July 2007 - July 2012

As a Business Systems Analyst at Idea, I provided expertise in business and system analysis to support Microsoft and Micro Focus projects. Acting as a key liaison between stakeholders and technical teams, I ensured the successful implementation of customized solutions. I led discovery workshops and proof of concepts, engaging with clients to understand their business processes and align project goals with their operational needs. I produced comprehensive project documentation, including business requirement documents (BRDs), functional requirement documents (FRDs), and gap analyses, ensuring clear communication of project objectives. Additionally, I collaborated on solution design to ensure alignment with both business and technical requirements, ensuring that all business needs were captured and reflected in the final solution architecture.

 Education

University of Florida

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Microbiology and Cellular Science

University of North Florida

Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in General Business

Florida State University

Completed several classes towards a Computer Science Degree including: C++, Data Structures, and Statistics.