Wendy Olson Killion

Current

Product Manager, Emerging Businesses at Cars.com

Past

Product Manager, Online Automotive Review at J.D. Power and Associates
Publicity Chairperson (Volunteer) at Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Research Associate at J.D Power and Associates

Business Analyst Intern at Weyerhaeuser (Pulp)
IT Intern at Weyerhaeuser (Internet/Intranet Services)

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Education

University of Puget Sound

Recommended

14 people have recommended Wendy

Connections

358 connections

Industry

Internet

Websites

Wendy Olson Killion’s Summary

~ Experienced product manager who thinks and acts both strategically and tactically to build the best products possible.

~ Proven communicator, collaborator, leader and team member who drives products and projects forward.

~ Dependable manager with strong analytical skills and a proven ability to manage products across several areas.

~ Innovative problem solver who can manage daily requirements while never losing site of the overall business strategy.

Wendy Olson Killion’s Specialties:

Product Management, New Product Development, Acquisition Integration, Project Management, Market Research including Study Design and Implementation, Strategic Analysis & Planning, Data and Metrics Analysis, Roadmap and Business Plan Creation, Sales Planning and Forecasting, Audience Expansion, Problem Solving

Wendy Olson Killion’s Experience

Product Manager, Emerging Businesses

Cars.com

(Privately Held; Internet industry)

February 2008 — Present (1 year 6 months)

~ Serve as the lead product manager and chief advocate for consumer experience for Cars.com’s emerging businesses including the Cars.com mobile site, PickupTrucks.com and MotherProof.com.

~ Collaborate with designers, producers, user experience managers, editorial, advertising and sales to build consensus on product enhancements to improve usability, conversion, profitability and performance.

~ Led acquisition and integration of PickupTrucks.com. Drove the transition from an editorial site to a full service shopping destination. Directed initiatives resulting in significant traffic and revenue increase in year one.

~ Managed implementation of an industry leading mobile measurement system, including client side (Omniture) and third-party tracking solutions to create new revenue from previously uninterested advertisers.

~ Directed full visual and information architecture redesign of MotherProof.com. Selected and managed outside design firm and oversaw implementation of the design internally.

~ Analyze traffic and behavioral metrics in order to better understand visitors and improve usability.

~ Utilize entrepreneurial skills to make these sites profitable and successful additions to the company’s portfolio.

~ Develop business plans, short and long term road maps, requirements and overall vision for the emerging products.

~ Write product definitions and prepare business requirements for major and minor site upgrades. Partner with technology to deliver solutions on time and within budget.
Product Manager, Online Automotive Review

J.D. Power and Associates

(Public Company; MHP; Market Research industry)

October 2003 — January 2008 (4 years 4 months)

~ Launched and managed all aspects of the Online Automotive Review, a suite of publications on Internet and marketing trends for the automotive industry intended to make data actionable and focusing on specific client needs. Product was profitable in its first year with over half of OEM brands subscribing.

~ Managed editorial direction, oversaw two primary writers and solicited contributions from guest writers inside and outside the company.

~ Wrote feature articles, overviews and website content; designed, implemented and analyzed original research studies. Developed and managed product blog/community site and the project website.

~ Created marketing materials, sales collateral, e-mails and oversaw all publishing aspects including graphic layout, copy editing and distribution—including web blasts.

~ Cofounded industry leading automotive conference based on suite of products. Coordinated and presented yearly at the J.D. Power Internet Roundtable conference of automotive industry leaders.
Publicity Chairperson (Volunteer)

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

June 2002 — January 2007 (4 years 8 months)

~ Directed publicity and public relations for the non-profit group in two local areas and assisted with national campaigns. Wrote public interest and informational articles for newspapers.

~ Presented Society programs/information for incoming residents and the community at large and assisted in training other volunteers.
Research Associate

J.D Power and Associates

(Market Research industry)

September 2002 — August 2003 (1 year)

~ Member of the digital marketing team, creating industry leading, groundbreaking Internet studies for the automotive industry through customer satisfaction research and in-depth analysis.
Business Analyst Intern

Weyerhaeuser (Pulp)

(Public Company; WY; Paper & Forest Products industry)

December 1999 — April 2001 (1 year 5 months)

~ Served as the link between business clients and IT professionals to maintain and develop client/server applications that supported all sales and logistics for the Weyerhaeuser Pulp Business (Cellulose Fibers). Supported end users daily in error resolution.
IT Intern

Weyerhaeuser (Internet/Intranet Services)

(Public Company; WY; Paper & Forest Products industry)

May 1998 — December 1999 (1 year 8 months)

~ Acted as liaison in all problems related to Internet access and administration, acting as the initial troubleshooter. Also developed and coordinated a web enabled database asset tracking and organizational system.