Bertrand Damiba
5.0
(5)
PM coach, focused on data-driven decisions and navigating complex orgs
Studied at Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science
Admissions Committee at Google
Successful clients at
Available tomorrow at 9:30 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Bertrand's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly · $100/hr
Get help with General Exploration, Promotion Strategy, and .
Bertrand’s Product Management Qualifications
Experience level: VP of Product
10+ people coached for Product Management
Bertrand has helped clients get into these companies:
I am Bertrand Damiba, a seasoned product management executive with 25 years of experience in the Silicon Valley. I concluded 13 years of product management leadership at Google in 2024, where my last position was Director of Product Management Gmail AI. Prior to that role, during my time at Google, I built and led various product teams, that launched features impacting billions of users across various product areas, including enterprise (AdWords) to Research teams (Google Deepmind), and was a founding product manager of the consumer facing Google Assistant. Prior to Google I was a startup CEO, and before that I was a software engineering manager at various firms in the Silicon Valley. Through mentorship and coaching I have helped dozens of current and aspiring product managers over my career to get into the next stage of their career, and current consult with various high potential startup through the Stanford Seed program, part of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. I hold a: -B.S. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University -M.S. in Software Management from Carnegie Mellon University -9 Granted US Patents -2 Webby Awards -Various other industry awards. I am fluent in both English and French.
Bertrand can help with:
General Exploration
Promotion Strategy
Strategy & Vision
Influence & Collaboration
Resume Review
Frameworks
Product Case Interview Prep
About Bertrand
Navigate your career with a coach who has truly 'been there.' As a former Director of Product Management at Google with 6 granted AI-related US patents, 2 Webby Awards, and 25 years of Silicon Valley experience under my belt, I help aspiring and current product managers alike turn complex challenges into career growth. Whether you need secure that next product job, navigate organizational politics or seek help in crafting narratives for an executive audience in your current job, I will bring deep technical rigor and a global perspective to our sessions. From mentoring businesses in Africa and Asia to shipping zero-to-one AI products at Google, I provide the insights, earned from years of experience and achievements, to help you lead with confidence.
Why do I coach?
I coach because great mentors accelerated my own career, and I know firsthand how transformative that partnership can be. At this stage in my professional journey, I find that my greatest fulfillment in helping others thrive. I am driven to pay it forward, using my experience to help you navigate challenges and unlock your full potential.
Work Experience
Stanford Seed Consultant
Stanford SEED
February 2025 - Present
I advise entrepreneurs leading companies in the Stanford Seed Transformation Network with whom I develop customized and creative business solutions.
Director of Product Management, Gmail
2023 - August 2024
Admissions Committee
• Responsible for generative AI features for email composition on Gmail, including “Help Me Write” and “SmartCompose” • Defined vision for future-proofing communication interactions in Gmail platform
Director of Product Management, Google Assistant
2021 - 2023
Admissions Committee
As part of the Assistant product leadership team, built and ran a product organization spanning many of the user-facing product teams (including music and podcast playback, issuing phone calls &text messages from the Assistant, alarms & reminders, routines, etc...) located in Mountain View, Seattle & Zurich.
Group Product Manager, Search Answers & Interpreter Mode, Google Assistant
2016 - 2021
Hiring Manager
Drove the requirements across several key feature areas, as part of the original product team that launched the Google Assistant in 2016. Built out and led product teams to drive requirements for these features thereafter. Founding Lead PM for the Google Search Answers experience in the Google Assistant on smart speakers and displays. Founding Lead PM for the Assistant Languages team that produced the “Interpreter Mode” Assistant feature, which earned: • 2019 Webby Award for Best Technical Achievement in Apps, Voice category (“Interpreter Mode” on Smart Displays) • 2020 Webby Award for Best User Interface category (“Interpreter Mode” on Mobile) • Became a tentpole feature for 4 iterations of Google’s flagship smartphone Pixel 6, 7 & 8
Co-Founder, CEO
SecuriMobile
2009 - 2011
Hiring Manager
Founded and led a startup that offered a cutting-edge voice biometrics based mobile authentication platform for high-value transactions. Along with the founding team, led the strategy, product, design and pricing. • Assembled team and advisory board • Led the company from its legal incorporation, to its first paying customer and term sheet. -Awarded the 2010 TIE50 Software Award (awarded to 10 startups out of 4,000 applicants) -Semi-finalist in the invitation-only Qualcomm Prize 2009 -Semi-finalist in the invitation-only McGinnis Venture 2009
Director, Product Management
Asyncast
June 2008 - December 2009
Hiring Manager
Led the product management organization for an early “Spotify for news” service startup.
Sr. product manager
Nuance Communications
August 2006 - July 2008
Interviewer
After BeVocal was acquired by Nuance Communications for over $140M in 2006, transitioned into product management to lead the product integration of the BeVocal platform into the "Nuance On Demand" network, drove requirements for key client deployments (DisneyWorld Resorts, AT&T Mobile etc…)
Software Engineer
IBM
1997 - 2000
Interviewer
Designed and implemented from the ground up core components of the International Components for Unicode (ICU). Part of the founding engineering team who took the project from an internal IBM project to a widely used open source standard. ICU have since become the standard library for internationalization across most major global software deployments
Education
Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science
BS, Computer Science / Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science
MS, Software Management
5 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Bertrand has helped clients get into these companies: