Apoorva Mittal Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

*Led research for Vena's first AI solution, steering the project from its conceptualization through various usability sessions. Cultivated relationships with over 20 customers, engaging in 60+ interactions from initial discovery to solution refinement to sign-up for the Beta Program*Investigated underlying causes of NPS detractors by engaging with 20+ customers; findings currently being presented to Executive Leadership for strategic investments*Coaching designers and product managers on research methodologies and customer-centric approach

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Here are a few key projects I undertook as a UX Researcher:* Implemented research operations to enable product teams to conduct autonomous research; streamlined processes across the research cycle to ensure teams solve the right problem, recruit relevant customers, ask the right questions and deliver unbiased user insights. Facilitated over 10 research initiatives per quarter despite operating as a solo researcher. * Led a foresight study to forecast the trajectory of finance over the next 5-10 years, providing critical insights integrated by Product Leadership to inform strategic product planning.* Developed product archetypes to represent distinct user tasks and objectives within the product, fostering a shared vocabulary to discuss user groups, comprehend their motivations and challenges, and guide product development decisions.Vena is a cloud-based financial planning and analysis software solution for businesses that want to overcome the challenges of maintaining Excel files, managing versions, re-inputting information, and transition into a real-time collaborative environment where automation facilitates improved reporting.

Toronto, Canada Area

Current Team - Plastics (Credit Card) Fulfillment*Leading cross-functional effort to create monitoring metrics to track customer experience from card application to activation by conducting data analytics on SQL and interviewing stakeholders from different teams such as Brand Partnerships, AML, Activations and Fraud; automated few metrics and drove value by identifying new problems to solve and by creating opportunities to implement preventative controls and prevent negative customer impact*Conducted call listening to provide customer insights to add different perspective to every business proposal and to advocate for alternatives that create value for both business and customer*Developing proposal to ensure accessibility in our credit cards and welcome packages sent to the customer; performed call listening, secondary and competitive research*Performing continuous improvement in inventory management to ensure that the process works for major stakeholders - Capital One, our card vendor and customer; ultimate intent is that we are maintaining optimum stock at hand and optimizing our order size and time

In a team of three, used the business design methodology (Rotman's 3 gears of Business Design) to understand:*The active, passive and non-users of Samsung's four services*The behavior of consumers of competitive services- Analyzed 3,000 survey responses to recruit participants and conducted screening calls- Conducted secondary research (including analysis of Instagram posts) and stakeholder interviews to understand the users for 4 Samsung services

Toronto, Canada Area

Key engagements in Business Design (design thinking for business):*Toronto Police Service (TPS) - Identified target user and created engagement strategy for Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal using design research techniques*Mississauga Integrated Care Center (MICC) - Designed team building solutions to develop a culture of unity and respect among healthcare professionals on a team; client appreciated our clear and in-depth insight into the problem*University of Toronto Beverage Services - Re-branded the existing UofT coffee shops to make them appealing to students besides other options such as Tim Hortons, and Second Cup and to manage the long lines for beverage within the campus *Bank of Montreal (BMO) - Developed a 4-tiered solution to counter challenges in the inclusion of transgender community in workplaces; received 'Honorary Mention' for bold and creative solutions Responsibilities included:1. Conducting desk research and qualitative research using ethnographic & expert interviews and observation2. Synthesizing insights using personas, empathy map, and customer journey maps to re-frame the problem3. Designing and testing prototypes4. Organizing feedback sessions with the client and the users5. Assessing factors of success and risks for final solutions6. Mentoring internal teams to select and apply design thinking techniques

Key engagements:*Led an engagement team that conducted desk and qualitative research into behaviours that prevent women and visible minorities from applying to Canadian Armed Forces and recommended solutions to address the same; designed a diversity and inclusion playbook that can be used by different organisations to plan and implement diversity and inclusion strategy*Designed a study on M-turk to test newly designed Employment Equity(EE) form for confidential public services client; built pipeline for future digital experiments with the client*Contributed to another project that applied behavioural lens to determine prices to be charged and incentives to be provided to Electric Vehicle users by a transportation company willing to invest in parking and charging infrastructure for Electric VehiclesResponsibilities included:1. Developing project and research plan2. Developing interview guide for expert interviews3. Synthesizing insights and taking internal and client feedback4. Designing the final report

Gurgaon, India / Sydney, Australia

Key Engagements:*Performed desk research and round table sessions with 10+ clients to develop new offering - 'Third party vendor risk management' to identify and manage risks for clients from supplier transactions; solution pitched and sold to 4 clients*Conducted 50+ interviews with accounting professionals to gauge their understanding of company accounting policies; created standard operating procedures (SOP) to align accounting methods in 20 businesses across GE*Led an engagement team of 15 to oversee transition of accounting operations for a beverage and confectionary company from US to India; designed process maps and trained 7 new consultants*Recipient of annual CFO Transformation Services Award for team’s delivery of client value*Coached and mentored over 10 new hires; won ‘Best Buddy’ award for mentorship across holding company

Gurgaon, India / Slovakia, Europe

Key engagements: *Utilized data analytics to identify redundant processes across Portfolio Management processes for Westpac; reduced duplication in work effort by 37% resulting in new contract awarded worth USD $1M*Improved and created operational controls to ensure financial compliance in an Australian bank, uncovering serious non-compliance issues (reported at 10%; actual at 43%); 50% of new controls implemented in 2 months, reducing non-compliance rate by 15%

Key engagements:*Statutory Audit of Government of India owned Power Companies and Health Missions.*Internal Audit of Government of India owned Seed Company and Engineering Company.*Filed returns for Individuals, HUFs, Companies, and Partnership firms. *Prepared Tax Audit Reports and Credit Monitoring Appraisals.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba

Activities and Societies: 1. Business Design Club Executive - Industry and Careers (2018 - 19) 2. LINKS VP - Communications (2018 - 19).

Associate Chartered Accountant, Accounting And Finance

Bachelors Of Commerce (Hons.), Banking, Corporate, Finance, And Securities Law