Open to opportunities

Paloma Montoya Soto

@palomamontoyasoto

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Strategic product and service designer with 10+ years of global experience.

Mexico

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm seeking opportunities that foster innovation and collaboration, where I can leverage my expertise in product strategy and service design to create impactful solutions.

I’m a product, service, and experience designer—and I use research as the foundation for everything I create.

For me, research isn’t a phase—it’s the source of truth that guides what I design, why I design it, and how it delivers value. The insights I uncover have shaped not only digital products and service experiences, but also business strategies: market expansion plans, loyalty programs, and systems to track and improve customer experience.

Over the past 10+ years, I’ve led human-centered projects across Latin America and the U.S., collaborating with global teams in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. I thrive in complex environments—where empathy, clarity, and deep listening are the key to unlocking meaningful innovation..

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Product Strategist & Researcher

XmartLabs

Sep 2022 - Jul 2024 (1 year 10 months)

Facilitated the shift from project-based delivery to product thinking across 6 client teams, embedding discovery rituals and empowering developers to align features with real user needs. Delivered company-wide trainings and created a strategic playbook to strengthen client relationships and identify expansion opportunities.

Product Strategy User Research Prototyping

Innovation Manager LATAM

Tata Consultancy Services

Apr 2019 - Sep 2022 (3 years 5 months)

Led innovation initiatives for top-tier financial institutions across 6 countries, focusing on credit, automation, POS systems, and financial inclusion. Introduced product discovery and human-centered design practices through workshops and prototyping in highly regulated environments. Co-organized 6+ strategic innovation events per year across LATAM, managing content and logistics to strengthen cl

Innovation Management Human Centered Design Prototyping Financial Services Automation Event Management

Product & Service Design Consultant

Pacifico Design

May 2018 - Mar 2019 (10 months)

Co-founded a boutique consultancy focused on diagnosing service inefficiencies and improving operations across diverse industries. Led research and blueprinting efforts to uncover root causes behind client issues, enabling smoother workflows and better employee experience.

Service Design Consulting Research Workflow Optimization Employee Experience

Regional Manager

MVP in a box

Sep 2017 - Mar 2018 (6 months)

Led a 6-month internationalization project supporting the U.S. market entry of Plenumsoft’s tech spin-off. Conducted strategic research to identify target ecosystems and founder profiles, shaping outreach and positioning strategy. Led discovery sessions with 15+ startup founders to assess MVP readiness and validate product-market fit, generating $60K+ in sales.

Internationalization Market Entry Strategy Research Strategy Product Market Fit Client Engagement Business Development

Innovation Project Leader

Coppel

Feb 2015 - May 2017 (2 years 3 months)

Led end-to-end design initiatives within Coppel Lab, tackling both retail and financial service challenges through user-centered innovation. Conducted field research in 20+ cities and participated in 10+ problem-based investigations to uncover opportunities for inclusive, scalable solutions.

User Centered Design Innovation Retail Financial Services Prototyping