Michelle Leighton
@michelleleighton
Product Owner and Senior Business Analyst with 10+ years experience.
United StatesWhat I'm looking for
I am a seasoned Product Owner and Senior Business Analyst with over a decade of experience in driving product development and ensuring alignment with business goals. My expertise lies in bridging the gap between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring that customer needs are at the forefront of product strategy. I thrive in Agile environments, utilizing methodologies such as SAFe, Kanban, and Scrum to deliver high-quality products that meet user expectations.
Throughout my career, I have successfully led cross-functional teams in the development of cloud-based applications and APIs, notably at United Airlines and Calyx.AI. My role involved managing product backlogs, defining user stories, and facilitating Agile ceremonies to ensure smooth project execution. I have a proven track record of enhancing system functionality and scalability through effective vendor management and collaboration with technical leads. My commitment to data-driven decision-making has enabled me to identify key performance metrics and drive optimization initiatives, ultimately leading to successful product launches and satisfied customers.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Product Owner
United Airlines
Jan 2025 - Mar 2025 (2 months)
Product Owner for digital proof-of-concept AWS cloud-based products. Coordinated day-to-day team processes, backlog management, user story creation, and Agile ceremonies. Identified requirements and broke them into epics, features, and user stories with verified acceptance criteria and minimal viable product (MVP).
Product Owner/Sr. Business Analyst
Calyx.AI
Oct 2020 - May 2024 (3 years 7 months)
Responsible for defining and communicating the vision of enterprise digital products to customers based on company strategy and market trends. Gathered input from business leaders, customers, marketing, and sales to ensure product alignment with user needs and business goals. Managed day-to-day tasks while working closely with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
Sr. Technical Business Analyst
Delta Airlines
Mar 2011 - Mar 2020 (9 years)
Sr. Business Analyst for multiple Agile teams focusing on internal and external APIs, data mapping, web-services, and rules engines. Led Dojo Digital Transformation/Immersion and managed full life cycle development including requirements gathering, design, testing, defect tracking, and implementation. Coordinated system updates and collaborated with UX and engineering to finalize designs.
Sr. Business Analyst
Georgia Department of Revenue
Dec 2006 - Mar 2011 (4 years 3 months)
Sr. Business Analyst and team lead for an enterprise suite of digital tax and financial products. Acted as a liaison between the Georgia Legislative Mandate Group and Tax Application Management Teams. Managed requirements, use case creation, test case and data creation, and change requests.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Williams Woods University
BA, Computer Information Systems
Studied Computer Information Systems at Williams Woods University, focusing on the intersection of technology and business. Gained foundational knowledge in information systems and their applications.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
United StatesAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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