About michelle

Experience

I've been at Square for over 3 years. In two years time, I was promoted to Senior level, making me the fastest member on the team to reach this level.

I have expanded my scope beyond Canada beta management to Canada and US beta management. I have been responsible for multiple P0 product launches, and have helped launch over 50 products and features to our Sellers globally.

Summary

When it comes to mastering new technologies, I am relentless in my pursuit of knowledge. I am motivated to be my personal best, and it shows in the way I approach my work. I have gradually increased my project complexity, am now teaching project management and beta management skills to others, and have influenced product development and roadmap decisions owned by senior stakeholders from various product organizations.

Fun Fact

I'm an avid credit card points churner. In 2022, I did a big summer trip spanning multiple countries almost solely on Aeroplan points (LA > London, UK > Paris, France > Toronto). In 2024, I will be doing an Asia trip on points (HK > Tokyo).

My journey into tech

Early life

I grew up in Vancouver BC, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and one that I call home today. I was a fairly average student, but focused most of my time on music, and struggled with math and science concepts for a long time. I chose to attend the University of Toronto, and did a double major in English & Sexual Diversity Studies, with a minor in Political Science. Pretty far away from your typical entry path into tech! So how'd I do it?

Entering the job market

The University of Toronto offers a work study program for its students. I did video editing for a Computer Science professor for one summer, and was able to get a work-study job for the next two years at the Ontario Institutes of Studies in Education (OISE) working at their help desk. Most of the students hired were compsci students, and I was the exception. My experience editing videos demonstrated an above average grasp of technology for a non-compsci student, and the hiring manager took a chance with me. This particular experience helped me get my first full-time role post-graduation: Customer Support Agent at a tech startup.

Career journey thus far

I started as a Customer Support Agent, and spent nearly two years in that role. It was a small tech company, and due to my tenure & product knowledge, most of the software engineers knew who I was. This helped me gain the confidence to apply for the company's first Associate Product Manager role, and it's been an up & down journey from there on. I'm currently a Senior Program Manager at Square, and while I can't say I leverage my degree on a daily basis, being able to demonstrate your ability in other ways that can benefit the company is extremely helpful. You definitely do not need a technical degree to break into tech.