S4:E2 - Upskilling the Product Function with Chiara Gardner

Join host ⁠Gerisha Nadaraju⁠ & special guest host, ⁠Dr Kevin Sakamoto⁠, for Season 4 of Product Ops Podcast where they explore how to make product ops value visible.  For episode 2, we sit down with ⁠Chiara Gardner⁠, Head of Product Operations at Ford Credit Europe. Chiara shares her journey from product management to product ops, discussing how she built and scaled a product ops function from scratch. You'll learn about the importance of upskilling product teams, managing change, and the nuanced challenges of balancing strategic and tactical tasks. Whether you're a product ops leader, an IC, or looking to understand the value product ops brings to organizations, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-life examples. Don't miss Chiara's expert advice on keeping your team aligned, motivated, and continuously improving! 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:55 Chiara's Journey into Product Ops 02:37 Transitioning from Product Management to Product Ops 04:02 Building Product Ops at Ford Credit Europe 05:48 The Role and Value of Product Ops 07:41 Challenges and Change Management 14:17 Upskilling and Developing the Product Org 27:33 Navigating Expectations and Overwhelm 28:03 Creating a Collaborative Environment 33:28 Challenges and Learnings in Product Ops 36:08 The Complexity of Product Operations 41:39 Staying Motivated in Product Ops 47:13 Reflections on Product Operations Remember to subscribe to our substack for the latest episodes and blog posts direct to your inbox! ⁠https://productopspod.substack.com/⁠ You can also subscribe to Chiara’s Product Ops Leaders substack while you’re at it!⁠ https://productopsleaders.substack.com/⁠ ⁠#productops⁠⁠ #productoperations⁠⁠ #productmanagement