Ben Gitles

About Ben Gitles

I’m a Product Manager who thrives at the intersection of complex systems and human-centric design. Currently at Google, I lead cross-functional teams to scale connectivity and hardware features that reach millions of users.My approach is rooted in a \"design-led, data-backed\" philosophy, a product of my degree from Kellogg and an engineering foundation from Penn. Whether growing Fi\'s Wi-Fi Auto Connect+ feature or driving smartwatch sales with bundled connectivity, I focus on building products that aren’t just functional, but sustainable and intuitive.When I’m not PM\'ing, you’ll find me at a CrossFit box, following the NBA (Go Bulls), or planning my next trip (30+ countries and counting).

Experience

1. Product Manager

   Google

   Aug 2021 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   PM for Google Fi Wireless and Google Store• Defined 2024 strategy for growth of Google Fi’s Wi-Fi connectivity marketplace and secured leadership buy-in; execution of strategy has tripled marketplace’s size within one year• Led 20-person XFN working group across three product teams to introduce built-in data feature on Pixel Watch LTE on Google Store, boosting sales by 20%; received Team Excellence award from leadership• Conducted quantitative & qualitative user research and identified a critical missing feature of an upcoming product; influenced team to prioritize the feature, which is now in development and will be available at launch• Discovered user pain points with Fi\'s number porting journey and collaborated with UX and Eng to create a new streamlined user flow, decreasing customer support contact rate by 58% and porting failure rate by 48%• Analyzed international connectivity costs, identified savings opportunities, and facilitated quick product changes to secure $800K/year in savings, along with network quality improvements• Facilitated recruiting at Kellogg for MBA interns; hosted Googler panels for ~250 students each year • Promoted from Product Manager I to Product Manager II within 18 months, faster than 95% of other Googlers

Education

• New Trier High School District

  High School Graduate

  2007 — 2011

• University of Pennsylvania

  Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Networked and Social Systems Engineering

  2011 — 2015

• Northwestern University

  MBA + MS Design Innovation

  2019 — 2021

Skills

• Presentation Skills
• Apt
• Client Relations
• Java
• Project Management
• Research
• Microsoft Excel
• Teamwork
• Data Management
• Matlab
• Sql
• Data Analysis
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• User-Centered Design
• Leadership
• Social Networking
• Jira