Kara Ntumy
An entrepreneurial Product Manager / Designer passionate about designing engaging experiences that achieve customer goals
Hi, I’m Kara!
A strategic, entrepreneurial Product Manager / Designer with product sense skills honed in top-tier banks and media corporations. I am adept at assessing opportunities, and confident in leading agile teams to execute and launch digital products. My passion lies in designing engaging user experiences, while building products that achieve customer and business goals.
Key Product Achievements
Experience
Web Consultant / Product Manager, Merce Group (January 2020 - Present)
Global Digital Product Manager, Santander (June 2019 - December 2019)
• Defined APIs required with engineering team and led UX design of developer platform.
• Set product goals and defined metrics such as # of new customers acquired and # of loan applications created to track product success.
• Led requirements gathering from internal stakeholders and Amazon, translating these into prioritised features for product roadmap.
Digital Product Manager, Barclays International (November 2017 - May 2019)
• Launched API offering with strategy to integrate with Xero and Sage digital products.
• Led engineering team to develop and test all APIs, ensuring 99% uptime pre-launch.
• Coordinated cross-functional teams to formulate API product strategy and roadmap.
Digital Product Manager, News UK (May 2015 - October 2017)
• Managed development teams integrating 3rd party commenting application on The Times website and implementing UX changes, resulting in 2x increase in dwell time.
• Guided design team to optimise onboarding and commenting UX in line with goal to increase # of subscribers from 300k to 500k.
• Led external development agency to introduce and test gaming features on Puzzles website in line with goal to improve engagement by 20%.
Digital Apps Analyst, HarperCollins Publishers UK (May 2012 - April 2015)
• Achieved three re-launches of key commercial websites: Harpercollins.co.uk, Collins.co.uk, and Tolkien.co.uk
• Led offshore development team of 5, conducted usability testing sessions, resulting in 2x increase in time on site.
• Created analytics dashboards to provide product managers with data-driven insights. Drove site load times up by ~50%
Education
MSc IT Consulting, London Metropolitan University
All modules completed and passed:
• Technical Consultancy Skills
• Software Project Management
• Business Solutions
• Web Applications Development
• Interpersonal Consultancy Skills
• Research & Development SkillsBSc Information Systems & Tech, US International University
Achievements as Yearbook Editor-in-chief:
• Managed 10-month yearbook design project with budget of £10,000.
• Led and coordinated development team of 20 creative workers.
• Liaised with third party publishing company to produce high quality yearbooks.Achievements as Public Relations Officer:
• Assisted in organisation of International Students Culture Fair, with budget of £3,000.
• Collaborated with team to plan inter-university events and activities.
• Webmaster duties for ISC website.IB Diploma, SOS-HG International College
• Diploma awarded for Computer Science (Higher Level), Economics (Higher Level), and English (Higher Level).
• Vice President of the Wordsmiths Club, literary group responsible for monthly magazine, and held Editor & Designer position for school newsletter “The African Pride”.
Entrepreneurial Experience
Co-founder & Head of Product, Gymigo (September 2015 - December 2017)
• Launched iOS app “Gymigo: Fitness Challenges For Friends” to the Apple App Store.
• Hired outsourced engineering team to implement, and managed app development utilising Agile Kanban.
• Designed UI/UX for fitness iOS game and created dynamic prototype using Invision.
Certifications
CERTIFIED SCRUM PRODUCT OWNER
This highly interactive CSPO® certification training provides a fundamental understanding of Agile and Scrum, as well as the specific skills, behaviours, and most importantly the mindset necessary to become a successful Certified Scrum Product Owner,® (CSPO). As a result of this training, trainees will learn how to prioritise backlogs, effectively communicate with stakeholders, and use the Scrum framework to manage expectations and keep all parties informed.
