Austin, TX USA
heatherthegreat@gmail.com

Heather R. Laurence

Executive ready program management professional with eighteen years of experience, specializing in AI & Machine Learning product development. Scroll down to learn more!

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Summary

Environments

I thrive in a leadership role and I’m looking to join a team where I can embrace my joyful persona, lean into my relationship building capabilities, and help unlock value across individuals, teams, and organisations.

CORPORATIONS

If you need someone to transform your PMO or team into one that is highly engaged and productive, I’m your woman!

START UPS

If you are an Executive needing a strategic partner, a right hand person that works as hard as you do, then I’m your woman!

CONSULTING

If you want a guide to change management that can easily identify process issues and get your team on board, I’m your woman!

FOUNDATIONS

If you need a board member, a stratgic thinker, or help with organizing your business processes, I’m your woman!

Achievements

Here is a sample of my notable achievements

✨ Drove the effort to build a custom reinforcement learning platform to increase conversion and CTR. $20M GP

✨ Oversaw the build of a custom Machine Learning deployment platform that ran over 300 models. $100M GP

✨ Ran team that consolidated legacy recommendation architecture to an ML-driven single architecture. $27M GP

✨ Managed team that integrated Facebook fundraising into Luminate Online’s TeamRaiser functionality. $25M Rev

✨ Collaborated on Expedia’s first ever Program Manager intern hiring program, developing evaluation guidelines.

✨ Headed the team that built custom internal software to automate sales commission approvals. $40M savings

✨ Developed and wrote FedEx process manual to improve employee productivity that increased capacity 2.5x. 

✨ Planned, coordinated, and led Expedia’s first Data & AI Intelligence Conference for 1800 participants gloablly. 

✨ Austin Chapter President for EG’s Women in Tech resource group, providing members learning opportunities. 

✨ Lead Coordinator for Camp Blackbaud, a bi-annual 1-2 day technology summitt for children aged 8-14. 

✨ Co-President of the Graduate Business Council (student council) for the Executive MBA Class of 2024. 

✨ President of the Graduate Women in Business student org for the Executive MBA Class of 2024.

Testimonials

Don’t take my word for it – here’s what my colleagues say: 

Heather is extremely effective as a technical program & product management leader and sets a high bar for her teams while going above and beyond to engage and motivate those around her. Heather is an organizational genius, I have rarely ever seen anyone as effective in cutting through the noise and creating well-structured programs out of initial chaos and ambiguity. Heather’s collaborative spirit, her contagious enthusiasm, and her drive for innovation and delivery are exceptional and I would recommend her to any company that is looking for a truly outstanding high-performance leader in the AI domain.

Moritz Backes

Expedia Group

Heather is an exceptional manager I ever had and I had the privilege to learn and grow under her leadership. She has meticulous attention to detail and helped me track my progress week over week for more than a year. Her super-high energy is infectious and I have always seen her greet everyone with excitement, warmth and a big smile.
Heather takes no time to understand any task and her approach to any problem is solution oriented. Countless number of times, she has helped me unblock on process, tools and strategy implementation. Above all, she does everything with a personal touch and ensured I was happy and motivated in my work. Heather has an unwavering dedication, and has the ability to drive success in any program or project she has led.

Sushant Ganguli

Expedia Group

Heather’s enthusiasm for her work is contagious, and her ability to motivate and grow her team is truly inspiring. During my time working with her, she consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science, providing invaluable guidance to our team of Program Managers. Heather’s hyper-organization skills are unparalleled, ensuring that projects and processes run seamlessly. Her strategic mindset, coupled with her dedication to continuous improvement through methodologies like Agile Development and Six Sigma, has significantly contributed to the success of our projects. Heather’s leadership in JIRA administration and her commitment to mentoring and coaching team members have been instrumental in our professional development.

Sanver Gozen

Expedia Group

Values

Here is a sample of the things I value in myself and others. 

ETERNAL OPTIMISM

With my optimistic outlook, I value positivity, resilience, and hopefulness. I prioritize maintaining a positive attitude, finding silver linings in challenges, and inspiring optimism in others. 

EMPATHY & COMPASSION

With my empathy and compassion, I value understanding, kindness, and rapport. I prioritize considering others’ perspectives, supporting those in need, and fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion. 

RESPONSIBILITY & ACHIEVEMENT

With my focus on responsibility and achievement, I value accountability, ambition, and goal-setting. I prioritize setting high standards for myself and others, taking ownership of my actions, and striving for excellence.

COLLABORATION & MENTORING

With my ability to foster relationships through collaboration and mentoring, I value teamwork, cooperation, and supportiveness. I prioritize building strong relationships, helping others succeed, and creating a supportive environment.

Personality Profile

MBTI – ENFJ Traits

ENFJ (Protagonist) is a personality type with the ExtravertedIntuitiveFeeling, and Judging traits. These warm, forthright types love helping others, and they tend to have strong ideas and values. They back their perspective with the creative energy to achieve their goals.

• Genuinely and warmly interested in people
• Value people’s feelings
• Value structure and organization
• Value harmony, and good at creating it
• Exceptionally good people skills
• Dislike impersonal logic and analysis
• Strong organizational capabilities
• Loyal and honest
• Creative and imaginative
• Enjoy variety and new challenges
• Get personal satisfaction from helping others
• Extremely sensitive to criticism and discord

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Personality Profile

Strengths Finder

The Clifton Strengths Finder is designed to identify an individual’s unique strengths or talents. The assessment is based on positive psychology and focuses on what people do best.

DISCPLINE

I enjoy routine and structure. My world is best described by the order I create.

FUTURISTIC

I am inspired by the future and what could be. I energize others with my visions of the future.

ACHIEVER

I work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. I take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive. 

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WOO

I love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. I derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with someone. 

Personality Profile

Enneagram 7, Wing 6

The Enneagram is a personality typing system that describes human personality based on nine interconnected personality types. Each of these types represents a distinctive and interconnected pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. The Enneagram is often used for personal development, understanding interpersonal dynamics, and spiritual growth.

STRATEGIC

The combination of Type 7’s desire for enjoyment and Type 6’s need for security can manifest in a strategic approach to life. I balance my adventurous spirit with a sense of responsibility and planning.

VERSITILE

I am adaptable and resourceful, able to navigate various situations with ease. My combination of enthusiasm and loyalty can make them valuable team members and friends.

ENTHUSIASTIC

Like all Type 7s, I am characterized by my love for adventure, excitement, and variety. I enjoy seeking out new experiences and possibilities.

SOCIAL

The influence of the 6 wing makes me more sociable and group-oriented. I seek security and assurance through connections with others.

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