logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
53m 56s

Episode 213: How Vanguard is Modernizing...

Melissa Perri
About this episode

Join us for an insightful episode where we explore the digital transformation journey at Vanguard with Marco De Freitas, Chief Product Officer for Vanguard's Personal Investor Business, and Amber Brestowski, Chief Product Officer for the Retirement Business.

Discover how Vanguard is modernizing client journeys, enhancing products, and building platforms that promise superior investment experiences. Marco and Amber share their strategies for leveraging AI and behavioral science to redefine client interactions, all while maintaining a strong focus on customer outcomes and innovation.

Whether you're interested in digital transformation, product management, or financial services innovation, this episode is packed with practical insights that you won't want to miss. Want to learn how Vanguard is leading the charge in transforming financial services? Tune in for the full episode.


You'll hear us talk about:

  • 10:32 - Aligning Strategy with Product Execution

Amber discusses the importance of aligning product strategy with business goals at Vanguard. She emphasizes setting the right incentives and problems for product teams to solve, ensuring they focus on creating superior client experiences that drive competitive advantage.

  • 22:56 - Experimentation in Client Modernization

Amber shares how Vanguard uses a North Star approach with key OKRs to drive outcomes. She outlines strategies for engaging clients and improving retirement readiness through behavioral finance and agile experimentation.

  • 35:05 - Balancing Innovation and Optimization

Marco talks about Vanguard's approach to innovation, stressing the importance of client-centricity and empowering teams to innovate. He explains how a portfolio approach allows for both incremental improvements and moonshot projects, fostering a culture of continuous development.


Episode Resources:

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

01:05 Intro

09:10 Amber's Career Journey

12:11 Marco’s career journey

18:06 Modernizing Client Experience

22:56 Experimentation in Client Modernization

31:04 Aligning Business Strategy with Product Execution

37:43 Behavioral Science in Digital Experiences

46:50 Tackling Digital-First Transformation Challenges

49:58 Closing reflections

Up next
Jul 2
Episode 230: Structuring Product Teams Around Outcomes with Jose Quesada
Join us this week on the Product Thinking Podcast as we explore the intersection of digital innovation and product management with Jose Quesada, VP of Product Management for Mobile and Web at American Express. With over 15 years of experience, Jose provides valuable insights into ... Show More
44m 52s
Jun 25
Episode 229: Navigating Urgency and Strategy in Product Leadership with Oji and Ezinne Udezue
Join us on this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast as Oji and Ezinne, co-authors of "Building Rocketships: Product Management for High-Growth Companies”, discuss the pivotal role of Product Managers in the AI era. As they share insights from their experiences with innovation ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 18
Episode 228: Shaping the Future of Intent-Based Digital Journeys with Lucie Buisson
In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri is joined by Lucie Buisson, Chief Product Officer at Contentsquare.Lucie discusses how AI is transforming digital experiences by combining quantitative and qualitative data to improve customer interactions. She highli ... Show More
43m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
Becoming more strategic, navigating difficult colleagues, harnessing founder mode, and more | Anneka Gupta (Chief Product Officer at Rubrik)
Anneka Gupta is the Chief Product Officer at Rubrik, a leading B2B cybersecurity company. She previously spent 11 years at LiveRamp, where she was the President and Head of Product and Platforms leading product development and go-to-market operations and strategy. Anneka also sit ... Show More
1h 8m
Jul 2024
Ep. 19 The Art of Problem-Solving: strategies behind the growth of Revolut Business
How do you look at what you have today to get to something better? Manuel Soto, Head of Operations for Revolut Business, chats with host Alex Carril about how creative problem-solving is at the core of a company’s success, and how we do it at Revolut. From the process of developi ... Show More
28m 5s
Nov 2024
Transformational Leadership
Welcome to another insightful episode of "Accelerate Your Business Growth." Today, we're thrilled to have Brenda Neckvatal, a two-time best-selling author, award-winning HR professional, and serial entrepreneur featured in prominent publications like Forbes and Fast Company. Bren ... Show More
34m 54s
Nov 2024
How to Do Product Discovery Right with Pawel Huryn, 175K+ on LinkedIn, Senior PM and Author
This episode is a masterclass in modern product management—featuring cutting-edge frameworks, actionable strategies, AI integration, competitive edge tactics, and aligning product goals with overarching business objectives.In today's episode, we cover:Junior PM Roles Are Done – 0 ... Show More
1h 32m
Jun 25
Shopify VP of Product on How to Build AI-First Products | Glen Coates | E269
In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Glen Coates, Vice President of Product at Shopify.Shopify is one of the world’s leading commerce platforms, powering millions of businesses and helping entrepreneurs sell online and offline with ease. Since launching in ... Show More
56m 48s
Nov 2024
The Secret to Success
Welcome to another compelling episode of "Accelerate Your Business Growth"! Today, we have the privilege of hosting Jim Huling, the global managing consultant for Franklin Covey's 4 Disciplines of Execution. Jim brings his wealth of expertise to discuss the critical elements that ... Show More
48m 22s
Oct 2024
Jas Shah's Hot Take - Product Management isn't as Glamorous as People Think (with Jas Shah, Fintech Product Consultant)
Jas Shah is a fintech product consultant based in London who helps small startups and management services organizations build winning products, whilst keeping his pulse on the fintech scene. His hot take? That product management is one of the least glamorous functions in an organ ... Show More
18m 10s
Nov 2024
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about SAFe and the product owner role | Melissa Perri (author, founder of Product Institute)
Melissa Perri is the founder of Product Institute, author of Escaping the Build Trap, and host of the Product Thinking Podcast. She has worked with startups, Fortune 50 companies, and everything in between to help them build better products and level up their product teams. In ou ... Show More
1h 24m
Oct 2024
Effective Leadership and Conflict Management
Welcome to another enlightening episode of Accelerate Your Business Growth! Today, Diane Helbig is joined by Julie Holunga, a leadership advisor dedicated to amplifying influence and impact within professional teams. Julie's expertise spans the law, accounting, and investment sec ... Show More
27m 39s
Nov 2024
Achieve Business Goals
Welcome to another episode of Accelerate Your Business Growth! In today's insightful discussion, our host Diane Helbig sits down with leadership expert Ron Karr to explore how to turn your vision into reality through effective leadership and employee engagement. Ron emphasizes in ... Show More
38m 8s