Janis Lanka
Product Manager
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Toptal Member Since
June 5, 2019
As a SaaS product leader, Janis has been lucky to work with venture-backed startups, biotechnology companies, and global consultancies, helping to bridge the gap between their business priorities, user needs, and technology capabilities. He enjoys company scaleup moments where he leads talented cross-functional teams of product managers, analysts, designers, and technologists to do their best work – build products that solve real problems and create impactful end-user experiences.
Janis is available for hire
Hire JanisProject Highlights
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Online Store
Supervised the redesign, usability testing, A/B Split experiments, and the storefront implementation process.
Nike Golf 360 App
Introduced a new way of tracking, competing, and connecting with Nike Golf.
Expertise
B2BBusiness AnalysisBusiness CoachingProduct StrategyRoadmapsUser Experience (UX)Web EntrepreneurshipeCommerce ManagementEducation
Bachelor's Degree
LCC International University
Work Experience
2020 - 2022
Head of Product
Interactio
- Managed several roadmap revisions based on a product opportunity assessment, overseas direct investment (ODI), and other frameworks.
- Grew product and engineering units five times to 90+ team members within two years. Later, I oversaw a split process into two separate departments for more effective performance.
- Led technical and creative product teams and collaborated with other peer executives to rapidly scale product and engineering organizations. Also, I defined product planning and a strategy and established product operations.
2018 - 2021
Senior eCommerce and Platform Strategist
Freelance
- Coached and project-managed an introduction of eCommerce capabilities with Shopify to establish European fashion manufacturing.
- Led technology research and approach design for a bra-fitting app using a third scanning approach.
- Built a product strategy and business plan for an ingredient ontology-aware search engine used by pharmacists.
- Provided strategy advice and post-Magento2 migration platform management for US-based children's product manufacturer.
2018 - 2020
Product Strategy Adviser
Apply Digital
- Created a roadmap, lead process, and tool digitization process for a 100-year-old publishing company in the construction industry.
- Oversaw gathering of requirements and built a product strategy for a mobile platform connecting esports gamers and facilitating escrow functionality and game tracking via machine learning.
- Coached a client team to perform user research and interviews to craft a roadmap for a service targeting data scientists.
2015 - 2018
Associate Director, Ecommerce & Digital
STEMCELL Technologies
- Formed multi-disciplinary groups (eCommerce enablement, insights and search engine marketing, marketing content integration, and web development).
- Sponsored and led projects such as taxonomy redesign, cross-sell modeling and testing, free shipping modeling, a new shipping model design that gained margin improvement by 37%, social media playbook development, and PunchOut enablement for eProcurement customers.
- Built eCommerce experience and environment to attain 31% annual revenue growth compared to 22% revenue growth of the company.
2010 - 2015
Senior Strategist, eCommerce and Digital Platforms
Blast Radius
- Served as the senior business analyst for Nike’s multi-million dollar NG360 Golf project; exceeded 12-month goals within the first two weeks that landed the second multi-million dollar phase (focused on business analysis and roadmaps).
- Headed successful completion of requirements gathering, strategy definition, and iteration planning for Bombardier Recreational Products and Vehicles.
- Focused on customer experience, competitive audits, persona development and testing, working with international clients like Nike Golf, Microsoft, Xbox Kinect, Starbucks, Bombardier (BRP), SaskTel, and Michelin as the global digital strategist.
2008 - 2010
UX and Front-end Lead
Elastic Path Software
- Supervised the redesign, usability testing, A/B Split experiments, and the store-front implementation process for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Site, Hudson`s Bay Company, and Hockey Canada for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Worked with internal client teams as the senior lead in driving; usability testing, customer experience analysis, design, wireframe creation, microsite development, and multiple store features concept development.
- Provided product development, professional services, and marketing support increasing department growth margins as the manager of internal front-end team and vendors.
2004 - 2010
Co-founder + CEO
Emotion
- Co-founded an international web agency, responsible for business development and partnership programs; working with nine countries and over 60 high-profile clients.
- Established an outsourcing partnership program that secured international growth opportunities for Emotion; generated over 55% of the company’s revenue and exceeded planned revenue by 60%.
- Managed project development for 60+ clients from nine countries, varying in size from sole proprietorship to international organizations.
Project History
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Online Store
Supervised the redesign, usability testing, A/B Split experiments, and the storefront implementation process.
The same contract included doing the same with Hudson’s Bay Company, and Hockey Canada online stores.
Strobox - Photography Lighting Education Platform
http://strobox.comWhat started with an iPhone app, grew into 12,500 submissions, 4 published books, and 68,000 Facebook Fans.
Since 2009 we have provided tools and environment for photographers to share the common goal: to educate others and learn new lighting techniques along the way.
Nike Golf 360 App
https://news.nike.com/news/nike-golf-360-app-goes-globalIntroduced a new way of tracking, competing, and connecting with Nike Golf.
Senior business analyst for Nike’s multi-million dollar NG360 Golf project; exceeded 12-month goals within the first two weeks that landed the second multi-million dollar phase (focused on business analysis and roadmaps).
Minnit CRM
Co-founder and product owner of first on-demand CRM in Baltics.
Strategically managing a product's strategy and roadmap, overseeing budget, team, development, design, user experience, product marketing, and client training. Coordinated a negotiation of a subsequent acquisition.
Publication: “Benchmark Report of Online Stores in Lithuania”
Surveyed 144 online stores and published 15 reports on the current state of eCommerce in Lithuania.
Year-long quantitative research into the state of eCommerce.
Education
2009 - 2009
Continuing Studies in Business Analysis Essentials
Simon Fraser University - Vancouver, Canada
2005 - 2007
Masters Level Courses in Organizational Leadership
Azusa Pacific University - Online
1999 - 2004
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
LCC International University - Lithuania