Product Ops Podcast S4:E2 - Upskilling the Product Function with Chiara Gardner
Sep 16, 2025
Chiara Gardner, Head of Product Operations at Ford Credit Europe, shares her inspiring journey from product management to creating a product ops function from the ground up. She discusses the pivotal shift towards more collaborative feedback processes and the importance of strategic partnerships within teams. Chiara emphasizes upskilling and nurturing junior members to build a culture of continuous learning. Listeners gain insights into navigating change, balancing strategic tasks, and fostering a supportive environment for operational success.
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From PM To Product Ops Leader
- Chiara moved from product management to product ops after realising she enjoyed making product teams and processes work more than building product features.
- She was hired as Head of Product Operations at Ford Credit Europe to build the function from scratch.
Product Ops Is Here To Stay
- Product ops work will persist because it solves people and change problems that automation alone won't fix.
- The role will evolve but its core is enabling change and managing the people side of transformation.
Adapt Product Ops To Your Context
- Tailor product ops scope to your company's operating model and immediate needs rather than slavishly copying three-pillar templates.
- Include 'people' explicitly when your org needs to upskill and scale product capability.