I started working in marketing and market research in 2003 while studying in Canada. Since 2006, I've had the opportunity to work on e-commerce and user experience (UX) projects.

I got into it because I was always interested in the web world, and one day I was given the opportunity to lead the redesign of a corporate website. Afterward, I felt I needed to dedicate myself to the web properly to learn by doing. So, I resigned and went to work as an e-commerce manager for a hotel group, also in Canada. There, I was in charge of 7 websites, including a corporate portal, 5 booking sites, and an e-commerce store.

Carmen Gerea

My mission (which I exceeded) was to increase e-commerce sales. So, in the first few weeks, I dedicated myself to understanding why we weren't selling more. Analyzing the metrics and inspecting the interface, I realized that the e-commerce navigation was unclear, and there was significant shopping cart abandonment. This happened because two brands coexisted on the site, and switching from one brand to another created the perception that you were switching sites.

The complex part was convincing senior management that we needed to modify the navigation and, while we were at it, fix other interface problems. To do this, I first asked them to let me test, and I went to two Canadian cities to conduct in-person tests with customers. I did my first user test in 2008, and about 12 years later, I can say that navigation continues to be one of the biggest problem sources in e-commerce.

Between entrepreneurship and the corporate world

Corporate world

In 2009, I founded my first company, BW2 (Be wise, be web), with Marie Pier, my designer partner from Canada. At the same time, I decided to change horizons and move to Chile.

Initially, I continued consulting until I realized I needed to connect with the Chilean job market (and Marie Pier wanted to dedicate herself to more artistic and personal projects). In 2011, I returned to the corporate world, this time at Movistar, a telecommunications multinational, first as an e-commerce Analyst and later as an Information Architect.

Subsequently, I worked in the financial sector, where I was in charge of remote channels, leading teams of up to 40 people in experience improvement processes, design and redesign of digital service platforms, and continuous optimization.

I am what is called a "specialized generalist" in the sense that I can delve into topics such as e-commerce, digital project development, digital marketing, omnichannel, and service design, both from an execution and team leadership perspective, as well as evangelizing senior management on digital topics. In my last roles in medium/large companies, as head of the web channel or sub-manager of virtual channels, I have spoken both the language of business (team, goals, KPIs, results) and the technical language (UX, HCI, SEO, SEM, A/B Testing, GA, WA, WP, WS, etc.).

To Romania, my native country, I owe perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit; to France, the fascination for languages, travel, and culture; to Canada, professional rigor and a large part of my university education; and to Chile, the ability to adapt despite storms. I speak 4 languages and feel comfortable as a citizen of the world.

About the value of entrepreneurship and personal growth

One of my biggest learnings, both in my own ventures and helping our clients, is that to achieve good results, we must have discipline, explore, and improve over time. As well as always listening to the market and your customers. That is, designing products and services that captivate is more the result of a process than the outcome of a creative burst.

Startup

I've started businesses several times, and I am convinced that things happen for a reason. With each experience, I have gotten closer to the lifestyle I have always dreamed of: connecting people and generating value through technology while continuing to learn and grow.

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