Welcome to the Product@UMD Webinar Series—your front-row seat to expert insights, career strategies, and emerging trends in product management. Whether you're just getting started or leveling up, our curated sessions feature UMD faculty, alumni, and industry leaders sharing practical advice and real-world stories. Learn about product management from our experts. Explore sessions on key topics, emerging trends, and real-world case studies.
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Additional webinars (in chronological order, details below):
Date: April 4, 2023
Description:
This webinar, Product Management Career Pathways, explores opportunities and strategies for building or advancing a career in product management. The webinar provides insights into navigating this dynamic field, covering key topics such as career opportunities, potential challenges, and practical approaches to success. Drawing on real-world experience, it highlights the skills and perspectives necessary to thrive in product management, making it an essential resource for those starting out or seeking to grow in the profession.
Keywords:
Product Management, Career Opportunities, Industry Insights, Skills Development, Strategic Planning, Career Navigation, Professional Growth, Market Trends, Leadership, Innovation, Team Collaboration, Customer-Centric Approach
Speakers:
Date: May 23, 2023
Description:
During this live session, University of Maryland faculty member Tushar Rathod will lead an expert discussion on how AI will drive product growth and customer experience. The panel will identify new opportunities from AI for current products and services, as well as opportunities for boosting efficiency, security, and creativity.
Invited panelists include current and former leaders from the academia, industry, and government with:
Leveraging AI in product management requires organizations to adopt a data-driven culture, shift their mindset, and enhance their collective skillset. In this one-hour webinar, the panelists will share insights on how to leverage AI for growth, efficiency, and innovation. You will also have the opportunity to interact with our faculty and industry experts, and learn about the online Master’s in Product Management program to start or enhance your career in product management.
Keywords:
AI in Product Management, Artificial Intelligence, Product Growth, Customer Experience, Data-Driven Culture, Innovation, Efficiency, Digital Transformation, Skills for AI Adoption, Technology Leadership
Speakers:
Date: Jan 9, 2024
Description:
Are you exploring product manager opportunities now, or curious of how to get started? Join this live webinar to hear tips and learn of the pitfalls to getting your first job as product manager. Speakers: Damien Peters and Robert Aikens.
Damien Peters:
Robert Aikins:
Webinar Highlights:
Keywords:
Product Manager Careers, Getting Started, Job Search Tips, Interview Preparation, Application Strategy, Career Transition, Meta, Google, Product Management Roles, Entry-Level PM
Speakers:
Date: Apr 16, 2024
Description:
Dive into how the big tech companies like Spotify and Amazon keep winning by joining our upcoming webinar. We're taking a close look at the Product Operating Model, a game-changing approach that's all about finding and grabbing new opportunities. John Johnson, co-founder of the Master's of Professional Studies (MPS) in Product Management degree at UMD, will explore insights from Marty Cagan, Melissa Perri, and Teresa Torres. Learn how this model is reshaping the way companies come up with products that people love and beat their competition; and how you can deploy many key techniques now where you work regardless of operating paradigm.
What You'll Learn:
This webinar is packed with insights and steps you can really use, aimed at anyone wanting to get ahead in product management. Whether you're trying to make your products more about what customers truly need, align your team's work with big-picture goals, or just keep up with the latest in how top companies innovate, we've got you covered.
Keywords:
Product Operating Model, Product Management, Product Discovery, Opportunity Exploration, Spotify, Amazon, Marty Cagan, Melissa Perri, Teresa Torres, Innovation Strategy, Customer Needs, Competitive Advantage, New Opportunities, Product Innovation, Winning Products, Market Success, Product Strategy, Business Alignment, Team Alignment, Product Development
Speaker:
Date: May 23, 2024
Description:
Building upon the agile foundations laid in "The Product Operation Model," our next session, "Shifting Risk and Decisions: The Key to Outlearning the Competition," offers a concise exploration into enhancing decision-making by accurately identifying and verifying opportunities and solutions. This talk zeroes in on the strategic management of risk and decision-making to refine product and service futures. By advocating for early integration of customer insights ('shifting left') and empowering developers to explore before finalizing builds ('shifting right'), we present a revolutionary approach to both strategizing and operational excellence.
We'll discuss how product management, informed by the Product Operation Model, orchestrates this balance to sharpen focus on customer needs, thereby significantly improving the quality and performance of engineering and operations. This streamlined session aims to show how a refined focus on strategic shifts can lead to superior decision-making, propelling organizations to achieve agile excellence and a competitive edge in complex environments.
Keywords:
Shifting Risk, Decision-Making, Product Operation Model, Customer Insights, Agile Excellence, Strategic Shifts, Opportunity Identification, Solution Verification, Operational Excellence, Competitive Edge, Product Management, Engineering Performance, Empowered Developers, Strategic Management, Customer Needs, Agile Strategy, Complex Environments, Build Verification, Risk Management, Early Integration
Speaker:
Date: July 11, 2024
Description:
In the third installment of our series, we invite you to "Harnessing AI to Transform Product Operations: Accelerating Innovation and Insight," a visionary webinar that explores the transformative power of artificial intelligence in reshaping the Product Operations landscape. Building on the insights from "The Product Operation Model" and "Shifting Risk and Decisions," this session delves into the future of product management, highlighting how AI technologies can revolutionize the way product teams test, explore, and develop new opportunities and solutions.
Discover how AI is enabling a paradigm shift in product operations, facilitating rapid experimentation, automating the gathering of insights, and generating innovative options for products and services. Learn about the tools and strategies that empower product managers and operations teams to act swiftly, make data-driven decisions, and stay ahead in today's dynamic market. This webinar will showcase real-world examples of AI in action, illustrating its role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of product operations, from automating mundane tasks to uncovering hidden customer needs.
Join us as we uncover the potential of AI to empower product teams, foster a culture of rapid innovation, and drive a significant leap in organizational agility and customer-centricity. Whether you're a product manager, operations specialist, or business leader, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to leverage AI in elevating your product operations to new heights.
Keywords:
AI in Product Management, Product Operations, Accelerating Innovation, Insight Generation, Artificial Intelligence, Paradigm Shift, Rapid Experimentation, Data-Driven Decisions, Product Managers, Operations Teams, Organizational Agility, Customer-Centricity, Automation Tools, Hidden Customer Needs, Real-World Examples, Product Development, AI Strategies, Dynamic Market, Innovation Culture, Future of Work
Speaker:
Date: Jan 29, 2025
Description:
Layoffs across the tech industry are reshaping career paths for product managers at every level. In this webinar, Damien Peters will share strategies for turning uncertainty into opportunity—whether you’re breaking into product management or advancing in a tight, competitive market. Learn how to strengthen your professional network, leverage AI in your job search, and position your expertise for maximum impact. Attendees will come away with actionable insights to stay resilient, stand out, and thrive in these rapidly changing times.
Talking Points:
About the Speaker:
Damien Peters is a multifaceted professional with over a decade of experience in product management. He was a product manager at Zynga, Meta (formerly Facebook), and several startups. He worked in product management while living in Spain and has experience in practicing product management internationally. Additionally, he was the head of product at two startups (Savvy Wealth & Camillion) where he drove company product strategy and built product culture. He founded Wealth Noir, a financial media startup, and led it through its acquisition to Savvy Wealth. Damien’s passion for product management stems from its cross-functional nature involving working across teams to ultimately deliver a product tailored to the user.
Damien leads WNCP AI (wncp.ai), an AI consulting firm, and is a faculty at UMD teaching Product Management. He holds a B.S. from UMD in Comp Sci and Economics, and an MBA from M.I.T.
Keywords:
Product Management Careers, PM Job Search, Breaking into PM, Advancing in PM, Entry-Level PM, PM Career Transitions, PM Networking, PM Skill Positioning, AI for PMs, Product Strategy, Startup Product Management, International PM Experience, PM Resilience, PM Interview Prep, Damien Peters
Speaker:
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