United Kingdom

Generalist Product Management

Technical Product Management

Growth Product Management

Platform Product Management

Group Product Management

Program Management

Ben Lavender

Chief Product Officer

Product analytics

Product strategy

Product roadmap

Python

PostgreSQL

Providing strategic guidance on product strategy, technology architecture

Lead comprehensive digital transformation for the world's second-largest visitor attractions operator.
•	Building a product organisation from the ground up, establishing product management, design, and delivery functions while implementing governance frameworks that drive consistent, high-quality execution.
•	Led the redesign of digital commerce journeys for 6 flagship theme parks, delivering revenue per session improvements of +4.2%, conversion rate gains of +0.6%, and average order value increases of +3.5% through comprehensive UX optimisation and data-driven iteration.
•	Collaborating with C-suite leadership to modernise mobile applications and implement a new CRM system to enhance end-to-end guest experience across Merlin's global attraction portfolio.
•	Introducing Amazon-inspired "Working Backwards" methodology and data-driven prioritisation frameworks.

Led product vision and execution for one of the world's largest consumer review platforms.
•	Led multinational product organisation of 50+ professionals across London, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, and New York, restructuring teams to drive innovation and execution excellence.
•	Developed comprehensive 3-year product strategy and 12-month roadmap, introducing new engagement features including AI-driven content analysis, personalisation, and community features.
•	Revamped B2B pricing and packaging model, contributing to 19% YoY revenue growth ($176M to $211M) and transition from $1M operating loss to $4M profit.
•	Successfully launched 6 key product initiatives on time and on budget, exceeding target capitalisation rates and securing retention of strategic enterprise accounts.

Led product strategy and execution for NOW TV across multiple European markets.
•	Led 62+ product professionals across UK, Germany, Italy, and Ireland, directing a ground-up service redesign that closed competitive gaps.
•	Established data-driven prioritisation framework balancing EBITDA projections, customer demand, competitive positioning, and technical complexity.
•	Reorganised teams into cross-functional squads aligned to customer lifecycle stages.
•	Initiated strategy to consolidate NOW TV and Peacock technology to drive economies of scale.
•	Improved engineering productivity by transitioning team composition from 50% Software Engineers and 28% manual QA to 70% Software Engineers, 6% Software Engineers in Test and 6% manual QA.

•	Providing strategic guidance on product strategy, technology architecture, & funding.
•	Designing and building bespoke AI

•	Providing strategic guidance on product strategy, technology architecture, & funding.
•	Successfully facilitated partnership with Simon Cowell as board member and strategic investor for Lounges.tv.

Led product strategy and execution for "the Netflix of sport" from concept to global streaming leader.
•	Built product and technology stack from start-up to 11M subscribers in 200+ countries with $1B annual revenue in just 6 years.
•	Hired and led team of 220 across Product, UX Design, Programme Management, QA, Machine Learning & Data Science in 10 global sites.
•	Achieved industry-leading device coverage, integrating with 97% of consumer electronics devices and 98% of regional payment methods.
•	Led implementation of personalised video advertising, generating ~$100M in incremental revenue.
•	Recognised with multiple industry accolades including "Best Streaming OTT Platform" (DigiDay 2019/2020), "Best Advanced TV Service" (Content Innovation Awards 2017-2019), and personal Digital Innovation Award (2018).

Led strategic product initiatives for Amazon Video globally.
•	Led product strategy and design for Amazon Video TV applications, driving Prime member acquisition that increased US subscriptions by 236%.
•	Served as worldwide product leader for Amazon Video Store, optimising conversion rates and closing competitive gaps.
•	Successfully migrated 2M+ LOVEFiLM customers to Prime Video on TV platforms across UK and Germany.

•	Architected LOVEFiLM's OTT video streaming service from concept to successful launch in UK and Germany.
•	Developed platform strategy that directly led to Amazon's acquisition of LOVEFiLM in 2012, creating the foundation for Prime Video worldwide.

•	Invented BBC iPlayer, the world's first catch-up TV service. After pitching to the Exec Co, Greg Dyke the Director General told me: "You've saved the BBC!"
•	Led successful consumer trials, produced business case and launch budget. Defined product & technology strategy for the live service.
•	Unified 120 inconsistent web video players into cohesive experience, increasing audience engagement by 20X.
•	Led Children in Need 2002/3 online donation system which raised £12M & £13M respectively.
•	Won BAFTA (2008) and Royal Television Society Award for Technical Innovation (2004) for BBC iPlayer.

Ben Lavender🇬🇧

About Ben Lavender

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