- ProductCPOFractional
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Kate C.
I help small teams make big decisions with customer insights
Curious, strategic and resourceful researcher with two decades of experience partnering with product makers and marketers. I'm an experienced user researcher for B2B and B2C SaaS companies in financial services, human capital and employee benefits. I've been a "first-and-only" research hire, and I've also built a team across business units. I know what it takes to deliver impactful research and build processes and tools from the ground up to make it repeatable. I love elevating the skills and mi…
Work
Goal-Based Investing Software for Financial Advisors | Morningstar
morningstar.comConnect your client’s financial goals and deliver personalized investment strategies with unbiased market research.
Gusto 401(k) Payroll Integration | Official Partner | Human Interest
humaninterest.comTogether with Gusto, we focus on providing affordable, customizable, automated retirement benefit plans for small and medium-sized businesses.
Experience
Human Interest
Sr. UX Researcher
Sep 2022 - Jul 2023
Human Interest is a fintech startup that helps small and medium-sized businesses offer low-cost, high-quality retirement plans to their employees.
- Conducted qualitative discovery research to aim product updates and A/B testing experiments for growth optimization.
- Devised go-to-market insights and usability testing research for a self-service onboarding transformation at a Series D B2B fintech startup providing retirement benefits for small and medium-sized businesses.
M1
Sr. Staff User Researcher
Apr 2021 - Jul 2022
M1 is a Series E fintech startup with over $5 billion in assets under management.
- Built core research operations to support the product and marketing teams.
- Cultivated an opt-in panel of 2,000+ clients while reducing recruiting cycle time by 60%.
Paylocity
Team Lead, User Research
Jan 2020 - Apr 2021
Paylocity is a leading provider of payroll and human capital management (HCM) software solutions.
- Trained product owners and designers on research skills.
- Conducted primary research with executives, HR leaders and employees on engagement, benefits and the future of work.
Morningstar, Inc.
Multiple Roles
Jan 2011 - Dec 2019
Morningstar is a leading provider of independent investment insights and financial planning tools for professional and retail investors. My roles included Sr. User Researcher, Design Manager, and Lead Researcher.
- Owned discovery research for service design and strategic product development initiatives in the US, UK and Australian investment advice markets.
- Recruited and managed a team of five researchers in two cities while serving stakeholders and priorities across multiple lines of business.
- Originated the role of user research within an established global firm and contributed to the development of proprietary data visualization IP for ESG and valuation ratings.
Institute of Design at IIT
Master of Design Methods
Aug 2009 - Jun 2011
The Institute of Design’s Master of Design Methods is an executive master’s program that combines business strategy with human-centered design research to envision what's next.
- Graduated on schedule and with Honors as a working student
DePaul University
Bachelor Of Science In Human Computer Interaction
Sep 2002 - Jun 2004
- Graduated with Highest Honor and a Minor in Urban Historical Archaeology.
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