Catie Merino

About Catie Merino

The best job I ever had was being a children\'s bookseller.As a shy kid, books were my window into the world, and there was something magical about helping a new generation of readers find their next adventure. To be great at that job, I had to understand the person in front of me, figure out what we were trying to accomplish together, get creative with solutions, and be resourceful when the perfect book wasn\'t on the shelf.Every job I\'ve loved since has been scaling up that same skill set.Today, I lead transformation initiatives that sit at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and how people actually work. Whether I\'m rolling out AI enablement programs or designing change management frameworks, my approach is rooted in that bookseller instinct: understand the need, solve the right problem, and synthesize expertise into something people can immediately use.Here\'s what that looks like in practice:I develop technical depth so I understand what the technology actually does. I align to business strategy so I know which problems we\'re solving. And I design for user experience because the most elegant solution means nothing if it doesn\'t fit how people work.Most organizations have specialists for each of these areas. My role is synthesis—connecting those dots into something the organization can execute. It\'s Project Management at an enterprise level, but it\'s also still that bookseller asking: What does this person need? How do I help them get there?This work has taught me to resist the urge to be right, because clinging to my idea limits what the team can create together. It\'s taught me that leadership in service of my colleagues has a ripple effect I never could have imagined as that shy kid shelving books.I\'m energized by complex problems that require figuring things out, by watching people discover tools that amplify what they already do well, and by the moment when technical possibility meets human need and something clicks.That\'s still my favorite part of the job—helping someone find exactly what they\'re looking for, even when they didn\'t know how to ask for it.

Experience

1. Change Manager, Transformation

   SHRM

   Oct 2024 — Present · Alexandria, VA, US

   AI Adoption Transformation (Aug-Dec 2024)Turned around a lackluster internal AI tool launch that had collapsed due to misaligned expectations. Through user research and strategic reframing, repositioned the tool from \"inferior ChatGPT\" to \"secure sandbox for proprietary work\"—correcting fundamental perception issues.Designed and delivered mandatory AI training to 493 staff across multiple global locations (US, India, Middle East). Built curriculum around real organizational use cases with hands-on practice, enabling immediate workflow application. Results: 4.7/5 satisfaction rating, 75% increase in active users, and 187% increase in AI assistant adoption.Adobe Tech Stack Implementation (Jan-July 2024)Architected tiered change strategy segmented by impact level across 57 teams, with differentiated engagement approaches for each tier. Conducted discovery sessions with 11 high-impact team leaders to map workflows, identify pain points, and convert potential resistors into advocates through transparent dialogue.Built integrated multi-channel communication campaign spanning Adobe on-demand learning, custom training modules, Slack communities, monthly showcases, and weekly People Manager Newsletter. Equipped 168 managers with strategic context, discussion prompts, and feedback tools—achieving 80% open rate within 3 days.Drove adoption of Adobe Commerce implementation that reduced checkout experience from 4 minutes 33 seconds to 6 seconds. Results: 92% on-time training completion, 100% completion within two weeks of launch, and 88% of organization at buy-in or commitment phase pre-launch.

Education

• The George Washington University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), International Relations and Affairs

  2007 — 2009