Ruben Galvan
Studied at Duke's Fuqua School of Business
Works at Amazon
Available Thursday at 10:00 PM UTC
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About Ruben
I'm a Senior Product Manager at Amazon, where I've spent 12+ years building AI-powered products used by 100M+ customers and delivering over $1B in revenue impact. Before Amazon, I worked across engineering, strategy, and product at Intel, Apple, and City National Bank — giving me a perspective that's equal parts technical, strategic, and human. My path here wasn't straight. I immigrated to the U.S. from Peru at 17 with no network, no roadmap, and no guarantee it would work out. I figured it out anyway — through engineering, an MBA at Duke's Fuqua School of Business, and an relentless curiosity about how great products get built. That experience taught me something I bring into every coaching session: you don't need a perfect background to build an exceptional career. You need clarity, a compelling story, and the right framework to execute. That's exactly what I help people develop. I've coached 60+ professionals into and through PM careers — helping them sharpen how they think, communicate, and show up in rooms that matter. If you're trying to break into product management, land a senior role, or navigate the AI shift that's reshaping the industry, I'll help you move faster and with more confidence than you would alone.
Why do I coach?
As I built my career, I realized that what I thought career progression would look like—and what it actually was—were very different. There were moments where I felt stuck, unsure of what the “right” next step was, or how to position myself effectively. Along the way, I was fortunate to have people who helped me navigate key decisions, even if they weren’t formal coaches. Looking back, I wish I had someone who could help me set the right expectations, challenge my thinking, and guide me through those moments with more clarity. That’s why I coach. I find it incredibly rewarding to help others navigate their path, avoid common mistakes, and gain the confidence to move forward. Seeing people I’ve worked with go on to build strong careers in product management is one of the most fulfilling parts of what I do.
Work Experience
Sr. Product Manager Technical - AI Personalization
Amazon
February 2022 - Present
Interviewer
Lead AI-powered personalization, discovery, and profitability initiatives across Amazon’s shopping experience, partnering with Applied Science, Engineering, and Design to drive engagement and unit economics at scale. Delivered $1B+ in combined revenue and profit impact through LLM-based content systems, personalized ranking, and next-generation shopping experiences that reduce cognitive load and improve relevance. Own high-impact product strategy at the intersection of customer experience, machine learning, and business performance—shaping how millions of customers discover, evaluate, and purchase products. ▸ Delivered $85M+ in incremental revenue by launching Amazon Fashion’s first “Before You Go” checkout recommendations, increasing basket size by 11% and establishing a new growth lever within the purchase journey. ▸ Defined and led a Retail-wide returns strategy, driving $500M+ in estimated profit impact by aligning cross-functional teams across detection, remediation, ranking, and suppression of high-return products. ▸ Increased revenue by $280M and reduced refunds by $44M by launching Return Insight Badges, translating complex ML signals into intuitive customer-facing experiences that improved trust and decision-making. ▸ Generated $234M in incremental revenue and $20M in cost savings by developing and deploying an ML-powered Search Ranker, influencing core discovery systems and securing senior leadership alignment. ▸ Reduced refunds by $25M and increased ad revenue by $5M by partnering with Advertising to optimize monetization strategies while protecting customer experience.
VP, Technology Strategy Manager
City National Bank
July 2019 - February 2022
Led enterprise technology strategy and transformation initiatives across a multi-billion-dollar banking platform, aligning technology investments with business outcomes and modernizing delivery capabilities. Directed a $250M+ technology transformation, restructuring IT operating models to enable agile delivery, improve digital experiences, and increase organizational velocity. Owned strategic planning mechanisms across Technology, streamlining FP&A, capital allocation, and goal-setting processes—reducing planning cycle times by 50% and improving alignment between executive priorities and investment decisions. Authored and implemented the bank’s technology strategic planning policy, establishing governance frameworks to ensure disciplined execution and measurable impact. ▸ Built and launched a $1.1B+ loan forgiveness platform (0→1) during the pandemic, serving 10K+ small businesses and enabling rapid, scalable loan processing under evolving regulatory requirements. ▸ Improved customer satisfaction (NPS +5 points, from 3 → 8) by developing and deploying a video-based client servicing workflow, enhancing engagement during critical financial interactions. ▸ Reduced loan servicing costs by 17% by leading automation initiatives (RPA) for residential loan reconciliation, improving operational efficiency and accuracy. ▸ Led cross-functional digital transformation programs, driving process optimization, data integration, and analytics adoption to improve decision-making across business and technology teams. ▸ Partnered with Product and Engineering teams to deliver mobile app enhancements, leading UAT and release coordination to ensure high-quality customer experiences.
MBA Summer Intern
Apple
June 2018 - August 2018
MBA Intern in Worldwide Sales & Operations at Apple, where I built a forecasting optimization tool for Central Planning that informed inventory decisions across multiple product lines. Partnered with cross-functional teams to improve demand visibility and support data-driven supply chain decisions at global scale.
Lead R&D Engineer
Intel
October 2012 - July 2017
Led advanced research and development initiatives in semiconductor design and manufacturing, driving step-function improvements in productivity, yield, and process scalability. Operated at the intersection of engineering, automation, and data science to optimize critical systems across the integrated circuit development lifecycle. Delivered a 5x increase in team productivity by architecting and implementing CAD automation workflows for integrated circuit design, significantly reducing development cycles and enabling scalable engineering output—recognized with the 2014 Department Recognition Award. Improved manufacturing yield by 30% by partnering with data science teams to develop a dynamic electroplating model, optimizing a critical production process—resulting in two Intel Distinguished Invention Awards. Led a team of engineers to build and scale internal CAD automation tools, streamlining semiconductor design processes and establishing a foundation for long-term efficiency gains.
Education
Duke's Fuqua School of Business
MBA, Strategy & Marketing
2017 - 2019
▸ Awarded the James H. Moshovitis Merit Scholarship for academic excellence and contributions to the Fuqua School of Business community. ▸ Selected as an Executive Fellow for Fuqua’s Client Consulting Practicum, advising companies on strategic and operational challenges. ▸ Held leadership roles across student organizations: Director of FoodCon 2018 (Food & Agriculture Club) and VP of Sponsorship for Black & Latino MBA organizations, securing partnerships and funding for flagship initiatives. ▸ Member of student governance; led operations and logistics for Fuqua Friday, coordinating a weekly event serving 500+ students.
University of Arizona
Bachelor's Degree, Chemical Engineering
2009 - 2012
Conducted undergraduate research on gold nanoparticle manufacturing, exploring scalable production methods. Led a senior capstone project on the use of sweet sorghum as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Active member of SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), supporting community and professional development initiatives.