David Van Der Merwe

Summary

A strategic Product Leader with over 13 years of experience driving product innovation and digital transformation. Proven track record of building and mentoring high-performing product teams while delivering platform solutions for Fortune 100 companies. Named inventor on two technology patents with expertise in ecommerce, security & privacy technology, and enterprise platforms.

Experience

RadarFirst - Portland, OR

Sr. Product Manager - Lead Product Manager - June 2018 - Jan 2025

Led development and delivery of enterprise privacy incident response solutions for Fortune 100 companies, driving innovation in multi-team collaboration and compliance management.
Platform Enhancement: Owned the execution of roadmap for cross-product features serving teams in Privacy, Compliance, and Security. Elevating SaaS platform user experiences for all workflows, reports & dashboards, Data Governance, and API.
Team Leadership: Supervised multiple Senior product managers, product owners and ux designer, ensuring tactical cohesion through the product delivery cycle and mentored two mentee’s through their product management career progression.
Performance Optimization: Drove 50% improvement in platform efficiency metrics through strategic product enhancements and user experience optimizations utilizing Pendo for analytics, feedback and KPI dashboards.
Stakeholder Management: Partnered with Fortune 100 clients’ privacy, security, and compliance teams to understand complex workflows, translating requirements into scalable product solutions.
- Strategic Vision & Technical Leadership: Led the transition to Al/ML-based opportunity assessment, collaborating with engineering to define the architecture and implementation roadmap. This initiative resulted in a successful prototype that aligned with privacy regulations.
Product Discovery: Established systematic approach to user research and competitive analysis, leading to identification of new market opportunities and successful feature launches.
Innovation & Patents: Named inventor on two technology patents for privacy incident response solutions, demonstrating deep technical expertise and innovative problem-solving capabilities.

KeenFootwear.com & ChromeIndustries.com - Portland, OR

Digital Product Manager, Sept 2015 - April 2018

Led global digital transformation initiatives across multiple brands, directing platform modernization and ecommerce optimization.
Enterprise Platform Migration: Architected and executed migration of multi-brand ecommerce ecosystem to Salesforce Commerce Cloud, including complex integrations across order management, customer service, and analytics platforms.
Technical Solution Design: Developed custom order management system and reporting infrastructure, integrating with Zendesk to create unified customer service workflow across global support teams.
Agile Transformation Leadership: Spearheaded organization-wide adoption of Agile methodologies, implementing Jira and Confluence while establishing standardized ceremonies and processes across distributed teams.
Global UX Strategy: Partnered with BASIC agency to create a comprehensive design system and interactive style guides, ensuring consistent user experience across international markets.
Team Development: Built and mentored high-performing team of product owners and business analysts, establishing clear career development paths and performance metrics.
Vendor Strategy: Led evaluation and selection of strategic technology partners, managing relationships and integrations across ecommerce, analytics, and customer service platforms.

Monsoon Commerce - Portland, OR

Program Manager, Jan 2014 - August 2015

Led strategic product initiatives for SMB ecommerce automation platform, driving cross-functional collaboration and delivery excellence.
Product Portfolio Leadership: Directed UX, product, and engineering teams in delivering new automation features for multi-channel ecommerce, including inventory synchronization and order processing solutions.
Strategic Planning: Managed program budget and resource allocation across multiple workstreams, ensuring alignment with business objectives and market requirements.
Process Innovation: Established standardized project management frameworks, improving delivery predictability and team efficiency.

Product Manager, Dec 2011 - Dec 2013

Drove product strategy and execution for ecommerce automation platform, focusing on user-centric design and market fit.
Product Discovery: Conducted extensive market research and user interviews to identify opportunities in SMB ecommerce automation, resulting in successful feature launches.
User Experience: Implemented systematic user feedback loops and usability testing processes, significantly improving product adoption and user satisfaction.
Technical Leadership: Partnered with engineering to define architecture and technical requirements, ensuring scalable and maintainable solutions.

Sales Engineer, June 2004 - Nov 2011

Provided technical leadership in enterprise sales cycle, ensuring successful product implementations and customer success.
Technical Sales: Served as primary technical advisor for sales team, conducting product demonstrations and architectural discussions with prospects.
Solution Architecture: Designed custom implementation solutions for enterprise clients, ensuring successful platform adoption and integration.
Customer Success: Built strong relationships with key accounts, driving high renewal rates through technical consultation and problem-solving.

Professional Certifications & Development

Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) - Scrum Alliance - 2017
Patent Holder - Multiple Patents in Privacy Incident Response Technology

Extensive expertise in:

Enterprise Software Development
AI/ML Integration
Privacy & Compliance Technology
Ecommerce Platforms
Agile Methodologies