Ajay Pillai
@ajaypillai
Experienced Technical Writer and Product Manager with 25 years in industry.
What I'm looking for
I am a seasoned Technical Writer, Fractional CPO, and Business Consultant with over 25 years of experience in diverse roles across finance, CRM, AI/ML, and product management. My career spans both start-ups and enterprise organizations, where I have successfully led global expansion initiatives, developed innovative business solutions, and fostered a customer-centric approach to product development.
Throughout my career, I have been recognized for my strategic thinking and ability to mentor teams in adopting agile methodologies and design thinking principles. My work has consistently resulted in improved operational efficiencies and enhanced customer satisfaction, exemplified by my leadership in transforming documentation processes and implementing change management strategies that have driven significant business growth.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Fractional CPO & Consultant
Toptal, Intuit, Freelancing
Jun 2021 - Present (4 years 1 month)
Led global expansion and change management initiatives, creating governance models and documentation libraries for international projects. Mentored technical writers and established customer-first processes to streamline operations.
Program Manager & Tech Writer
ExxonMobil
Jan 2023 - Feb 2023 (1 month)
Spearheaded change management efforts by developing training and documentation libraries, enhancing community engagement through redesigned internal platforms.
Consulting Product Manager
Intuit
Jan 2022 - Jan 2023 (1 year)
Managed payroll functionality within QuickBooks, achieving significant increases in monthly active users and cloud product adoption.
Conceptualization Product Manager
Darryl Callum Infinite LLC
Jan 2022 - Jan 2023 (1 year)
Designed and conceptualized product models for an affiliate finance program, leading market research and creating a roadmap for an AI-enabled product.
Program Manager & Tech Writer
Woven by Toyota, Inc.
Jan 2022 - Jan 2023 (1 year)
Improved user experience for the 'Stargate' product by leading the Dev Ex Program, creating a content library, and enhancing documentation standards, resulting in increased user satisfaction.
Tech Writer
Pluralsight
Jan 2022 - Jan 2023 (1 year)
Led the transition of IT systems and digital documentation processes, creating governance programs and runbooks for organizational efficiency.
Fractional CPO
Food Technologies Co
Jun 2021 - Jan 2022 (7 months)
Updated marketplace offerings and implemented ML-based dynamic pricing strategies, mentoring the CEO on product-based mindsets.
Principal Business Consultant
IBM Inc.
Jul 2018 - Dec 2020 (2 years 5 months)
Led the transformation of the marketing ecosystem through integrated processes and developed a cloud application for budget management, improving operational efficiency.
Product Manager - Marketing Transformation
IBM Inc.
Mar 2013 - Jul 2018 (5 years 4 months)
Oversaw enterprise-wide marketing planning and resource management transformations, implementing Lean and Agile methodologies to enhance customer journey mapping.
Delivery Project Executive
IBM GPS
Dec 2009 - Mar 2013 (3 years 3 months)
Managed the first multilingual Marketing Operations Centre of Excellence, integrating AI technologies and scaling operations to enhance global marketing efforts.
Rental Consultant
Caterpillar Inc.
Oct 2008 - Jun 2009 (8 months)
Developed a rental program for construction equipment, establishing a profitable business model and executing strategies for market penetration in Southeast Asia.
Commercial Merchandising Manager
Caterpillar Inc.
Aug 2005 - Oct 2008 (3 years 2 months)
Managed financial planning and demand programs, leading marketing operations and achieving significant revenue growth through strategic pricing and analytics.
6 Sigma Black Belt
Caterpillar Inc.
Oct 2003 - Aug 2005 (1 year 10 months)
Implemented 6 Sigma initiatives to drive business growth and product development, achieving substantial savings and recognition for innovative application of methodologies.
Product Consultant
Caterpillar Inc.
Apr 2003 - Oct 2003 (6 months)
Introduced new products into the quarrying market, establishing testing and benchmarking procedures to enhance competitive positioning.
Regional Mining Sales Manager
Caterpillar India
Jun 1997 - Apr 2003 (5 years 10 months)
Responsible for sales forecasting and market expansion, achieving significant sales growth through strategic solution selling and long-term contracts.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences
Master of Business Administration, Engineering Management
1997 - 1999
Completed an MBA in Engineering Management, focusing on integrating engineering principles with business practices to enhance organizational performance.
P.S.G. College of Technology
Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
1993 - 1997
Earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, gaining a solid foundation in mechanical design, thermodynamics, and materials science.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
Authorized to work in
Job categories
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