Brian Sparks

About Brian Sparks

I build AI-powered products in complex, regulated domains where getting it wrong has real consequences.At Vertex Inc, I lead product strategy for our agentic AI domain, including Vertex Copilot — a multi-agent system where a central orchestrator classifies user intent and routes to specialized sub-agents backed by deterministic APIs, proprietary data, and LLMs. For tax compliance queries where precision is non-negotiable, the system uses slot-filling and deterministic execution rather than open-ended generation. Copilot has become one of the fastest-growing capabilities on the platform.Before moving to AI, I spent five years building Vertex’s data and analytics product portfolio from the ground up. I created Indirect Tax Intelligence as a new product category after leading a 300-customer structured discovery program, and built the data platform capabilities that connected into SAP, Oracle, and proprietary tax engine ecosystems. Earlier in my career, I led the MiFID II regulatory compliance workstream at IHS Markit — a high-stakes program across three countries with a hard regulatory deadline and no room for delay.I’m a builder by nature. I run a multi-node GPU homelab where I prototype agents and systems outside of work, and I think in architectures — give me a whiteboard and I’ll trace the data flow, find the moats, and connect it to the business case.16 years across enterprise AI, financial data platforms, and large-scale systems. Northwestern Kellogg product strategy certification. UT Austin economics.Open to conversations about AI product leadership, building in regulated domains, and the intersection of technical depth and product strategy.

Experience

1. Principal Product Manager

   Vertex Inc.

   Jul 2019 — Present

   Lead Product Manager for two B2B data products, purpose built for corporate tax departments within the complex market.* Responsible for vision, roadmap, pricing, go-to-market, cross-functional coordination, alignment to corporate strategy, and leadership of multiple software teams.* Executed both ideas from ground up to shipped products.

Education

• The University of Texas at Austin

  BA, Economics

  2002 — 2007