A WORD FROM OUR CEO, elizabeth ames

When I first spoke with the board of Women In Product about taking on the role of CEO, I shared with them my vision for the organization. There were 3 main pillars: 

1. Place the women and non-binary residents at the center of everything we do, we do our work for them. 
2. You don’t make change one or two days a year. Change is hard and it requires consistent participation and engagement all year round.
3. Use PM skills to drive innovation. Change is too slow. We should tap our expertise & community to find new, effective solutions

Today those pillars still inspire our efforts, and I’m thrilled to announce that Carmen Palmer has joined Women In Product as our Chief Product Officer.

In this new role, Carmen will be working with our events and programs teams to drive innovation that will help us close the gender gap in participation — particularly in mid-career through senior and executive roles where the gap is greatest. Also, to help our community members find their best, most vital place in product – a place where they can thrive.

Carmen brings many years of experience as a product leader, most recently as CPO at MarketCast and before that at NBCUniversal, Yahoo! and DemandMedia. Carmen’s expertise and leadership will build on the programs and events that our wonderful team has been rolling out over the past three years. She will help us take our approach to products to the next level and find the innovative and most effective ways to serve our community.

I’m very excited to have Carmen onboard. I’m looking forward to this team delivering industry-leading offerings that continue to increase the visibility, participation, and professional esteem of all women and non-binary people in product.

From carmen palmer

I am delighted to join Women In Product as Chief Product Officer. We are a vibrant community of over 30,000 remarkable women and non-binary folks, and our community continues to flourish. With this growth comes the opportunity to expand our vision and better serve the needs of our community. Our mission remains unwavering: to bridge the gender gap in product management. It is my pleasure to be mission-driven every day and drive measurable impact.

My journey in product management began over two decades ago, fueled by a simple yet profound desire to creatively address customer challenges using technology. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with brilliant individuals who share our deep commitment to a more inclusive future.

Over the years, I’ve led product teams, crafted innovative strategies, launched groundbreaking products, and witnessed the remarkable power that diverse perspectives bring to the table, driving innovation and excellence.

In my new role, I’m thrilled to bring my experience in product development, strategy, and leadership to the forefront of our mission. Together with our dedicated team, we’ll design initiatives, programs, and platforms to empower women and non-binary people in product management.

On a personal note, I currently call Los Angeles home, where I live with my family – my husband, a dedicated high school teacher, our two sons, and our three cherished dogs. My daily routine includes heartwarming conversations with my 81-year-old mother, who lives just minutes away and is an integral part of our family dynamic.

I’m an avid outdoors enthusiast, relishing activities like hiking, paddleboarding, and biking. I also have a competitive streak when it comes to women’s indoor volleyball. Exploring new destinations, savoring diverse cuisines at local restaurants, and cherishing moments with friends and family are among my greatest joys.

My professional journey has been dynamic, marked by challenging roles that have shaped my professional acumen and deepened my commitment to driving positive change. After earning degrees in Economics and Psychology from UC Berkeley, I embarked on my tech career as an enterprise software consultant. This journey led me to my first product management role at a CRM startup.

From there, I continued to grow professionally, contributing to Search Marketing and Advertising at Yahoo. As a product manager, I collaborated on advanced matching products and expanded my responsibilities to encompass serving platforms across various advertising mediums, including contextual, display, and programmatic ad offerings.

My career then took me to NBCUniversal, where I served as Senior Director of Product in the Content Distribution division, gaining valuable insights as the era of cord-cutting began to take hold. Applying my core product management and leadership skills in a new industry was an insightful experience that underscored the importance of constant learning and adaptation.

My expertise in Ad Tech and Platforms, and my experience in Media Entertainment, led me to my role as CPO at Marketcast, a renowned market research company specializing in consumer research, data science, and advanced analytics for marketers. It was a privilege to lead our product and operations organization through a critical acquisition and transformative phase of the organization.

Through these diverse experiences, I’ve built a wealth of expertise in building products, leading teams, and navigating organizations across different industries, from startups to publicly traded and privately held companies. I have been following the activity in our Facebook groups and  can relate to almost every post and response. Leveraging my expertise and experience to further our mission is very exciting for me, and I am wholeheartedly committed to serving our community and driving transformative change within our industry.

I’ve been fortunate to have amazing mentors, coaches, and a robust support network throughout my journey. I firmly believe that our Women In Product community plays a pivotal role in supporting women and non-binary people throughout their careers in product management.

What excites me most about this new chapter is the prospect of collaborating with this passionate community. Your collective wisdom, diverse perspectives, and unyielding determination are invaluable assets that I am eager to harness. Together, we can challenge the status quo, exchange invaluable insights, and drive the change our industry needs.