How to Succeed as a

New Product Manager


----------------------- PSN Members Only -----------------------

Tuesday, March 3 2009 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Rivers Club at One Oxford Centre, 301 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219

“It’s the most challenging job in corporate America,” a software company CEO once said about product managers. For a person who is a new product manager, it can be even more difficult. While there are many people who are attracted by the rewards and opportunities, there are many challenges to success. They include a lack of authority; the need to consider the needs and ideas of many stakeholders; the skill to excel operationally and strategically, and coping with different understandings of the role itself. And, of course, that’s on top of the challenges with the market and product. What can a new product manager do to increase their chances of success?

In this PSN Member Roundtable, we have invited 3 panelists to share their insights, tips and lessons learned as a new product manager. Two panelists– Gina Dickson, Product Manager with TrueCommerce and Tina Wyland, Associate Global Product Manager with Philips Home Healthcare – have been product managers for three years or less and will reveal the reality. The other panelist– Jason Baim, Director of Product Management with TeleTracking Technologies – is a veteran product management executive will share how he manages this situation from the ‘other side.’  You will benefit from understanding their experiences, tips, and traps to avoid.

We will start the Member Roundtable meeting by asking the questions below, but you will have ample opportunity to ask your specific questions and get ideas, advice and useful answers.

• What should a new product manager really expect the job to be? What will be surprising?
• What are the key ingredients that a product manager needs to have success? and how can you acquire those?
• How ‘technical’ does a product manager really need to be?
• What are the key challenges and how should you work through them?
• What support should a new product manager expect from their manager? And their colleagues?
• How do you build strong relationships with engineering? and with sales?
• What goals are realistic and important for a new product manager in the first 30 days? 90 days? 6 months? One year?
• How can you increase the value that you bring to the business?
• What would you do differently if you could start over?

Agenda

• 5:30 – 6:00 Networking over food/beverages
• 6:00 – 6:15  Introductions
• 6:15 – 8:00   Moderated Discussion & Q&A
  Tina Wyland, Associate Global Product Manager, Philips
  Gina Dickson, Product Manager, TrueCommerce
  Jason Baim, Director of Product Management, TeleTracking Technologies
• 8:00 – 8:30 Additional networking

Tina Wyland (LinkedIn) is an Associate Global Product Manager, Home Respiratory Care at Philips Respironics. She has held this position for one year 1 year and has worked on various oxygen and ventilation projects. Previously, she was a Business Banking Officer at PNC Bank for four years. She has her Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.A. in Managerial Economics from Allegheny College. 

Gina Dickson is a Product Manager with TrueCommerce, providers of software solutions for EDI transactions to small-to-mid tier companies. In her three years in this position, she had led the efforts to release a Software-as-a-Service version of their EDI solutions, and the establishment of product management at TrueCommerce. Before moving into product management, she was part of the Professional Services team for client implementation and support of TrueCommerce software solutions. Previously, Ms. Dickson held Sr. Business Analyst and Business Analyst positions with Federated Investors. She has an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.A. in Economics from Washington & Jefferson College.

Jason Baim (LinkedIn) is the Director of Product Management for Tele-Tracking Technologies, makers of workflow automation solutions for the healthcare industry. In this position, he is responsible for the strategic direction and tactical execution of all product and program activities for TeleTracking's suite of industry leading patient flow solutions, and management the program and product management team. In his 16 year career, he has held positions at EMC Corporation as Sr. Manager of Product Management and Sr. Product Manager; with Lucent Technologies at Sr. Product Manager; and with FTP Software as and Strategic & Channels Marketing Manager. Mr. Baim has an MBA from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from the College of Social Studies at Wesleyan University.

Eligible non-members will need to become a PSN Member to attend this meeting.

When:

Tuesday,
March 3 

5:30 p.m. to
8 p.m.

Where:

Rivers Club
One Oxford Centre
4th floor 

301 Grant St. - 4th Floor,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219  

Fees:

Free for PSN Members!
Pre-registration is required

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