Terry Waiters

About Terry Waiters

I lead programs that move from ambiguity to execution at Shopify, currently focused on hardware launches and retail operations.My career has followed a deliberate arc: from hands-on technical implementation and customer-facing work to owning the strategy, operations, and cross-functional coordination behind large-scale programs. I\'ve launched hardware products from early access to general availability. I\'ve built operational systems that replaced scattered processes with single sources of truth. I\'ve stood in stores watching installs happen to validate what we\'re actually shipping to merchants.What I\'m good at: bringing structure where there isn\'t any, earning trust across technical and business teams, and making sure programs don\'t just launch — they work. I think in systems, I lead through influence, and I close the loop. Ship it, audit it, fix what the audit finds, measure whether it matters.Before program management, I spent three years as a Launch Engineer and Technical Implementation Consultant, building the technical fluency that lets me hold my own with engineering teams and the customer empathy that keeps me grounded in what merchants actually need.I care about the gap between the plan and the reality. That\'s where I operate.

Experience

1. Senior Program Manager

   Shopify

   Oct 2024 — Present

   Own program strategy and execution for Shopify\'s retail hardware portfolio, including new product launches, operational infrastructure, and cross-functional coordination across engineering, product, supply chain, sales, and merchant support.Lead hardware launch programs from early access through general availability — defining success metrics, building enrollment funnels, standing up stakeholder cadences, and creating the operational tooling that keeps programs on track. Took ownership of programs that were behind schedule and below enrollment targets, restructured the approach, and exceeded all targets by program close.Build the operational layer that connects product development to merchant experience: care packages, compliance workflows, field service validation, activation monitoring, and the data infrastructure to measure program health. Partner directly with engineering leads, product managers, and go-to-market teams to align priorities and remove blockers.

Education

• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Management (Entrepreneurship)

Skills

• Photoshop
• Microsoft Powerpoint
• Customer Experience
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Team Building
• Teaching
• Retail
• Customer Satisfaction
• Teamwork
• Html
• Access
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Advertising
• Customer Service
• Research
• Administrative Assistance
• Outlook
• Administrative Assistants
• Windows
• Marketing
• English
• Microsoft Word
• Team Leadership