Vera Roads

About Vera Roads

Senior Product Owner driving enterprise-scale inventory and store operations platforms that deliver customer-centric outcomes and measurable business value in complex retail environments.At Dollar General, I partner with executive leadership, engineering, analytics, and operations teams to define product vision, prioritize roadmaps, and deliver outcomes aligned to enterprise goals. I’m known for connecting people, processes, and technology to turn ambiguity into clear, actionable product direction.I bring an entrepreneurial mindset, remain calm under pressure, and balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution. My approach is rooted in data, continuous improvement, and thoughtful collaboration.Selected career highlights include:Increased customer interaction survey response rates from 7% to 15% by redesigning survey strategy and transforming results into actionable insights.Delivered customer-driven AutoPay enhancements in partnership with cross-functional payments teams, driving a 35.9% increase in adoption.Led and developed a team of 21 customer advocates, enabling $1.5M in claims approvals through process innovation and experimentation.Designed and launched a real estate site selection and analytics tool leveraging customer psychographics to inform market expansion and marketing strategy.Influence & leadership:Recognized for clear, confident communication and the ability to build strong relationships across large organizations, aligning diverse teams around a shared vision to deliver successful, enterprise-scale initiatives.Core strengths: Product ownership • Retail technology • Agile delivery • Roadmap strategy • Store operations • Inventory systems • Executive stakeholder alignment • Data-driven decision making

Experience

1. Senior Product Owner

   Dollar General

   Jun 2021 — Present

   Own product strategy, roadmap, and delivery for enterprise store inventory management and inventory intelligence platforms, supporting Store Operations across a retail footprint.Lead EIO (Enterprise Inventory Optimization), a centralized, near real-time enterprise inventory platform integrating HHT, POS, IP, WMS/WIS, DCT, and DGC to power replenishment, forecasting, finance, and digital initiatives.Piloted and launched EIO in November 2024 across 7 stores in 5 states, processing POS events in seconds and store-level events in under 15 minutes, improving inventory accuracy and reducing out-of-stock and overstock conditions versus legacy systems.Scaled EIO to all stores by December 2025, delivering a unified, near real-time inventory view critical to store execution and enterprise decision-making.Co-authored the statement of work for a 300-store rollout phase, aligning scope, milestones, and success metrics across product, engineering, and business stakeholders.Act as a trusted connector across Store Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Technology, and executive stakeholders, building strong relationships and alignment that enable complex, cross-organizational initiatives to succeed at scale.Partner closely with Store Inventory Management Systems (SIMS), Inventory Engineering, and EIO teams to drive Agile delivery, lead bi-weekly sprint reviews, and maintain transparent, outcome-focused metrics.Translate complex business needs into clear product requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria, ensuring alignment from discovery through delivery.

Education

• Mercer University - Stetson School of Business and Economics

  MBA, Finance, General

  1998 — 1999

• Parker College of Business-Georgia Southern University

  BBA, Logistics and Intermodal Transportation

  1991 — 1994