Digital Product Leader | Platform Strategy | AI

Digital Product Leader | Platform Strategy

Digital Product Leader

Erica Thomas

Leading digital product strategy, AI initiatives, platform modernization, and cross-functional teams to deliver scalable digital experiences and measurable business outcomes.

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(01) About

Driving digital transformation through product strategy, AI, and platform modernization.

I lead cross-functional teams to modernize digital products, improve operational efficiency, and deliver measurable business outcomes for media organizations. My experience spans enterprise SaaS platforms, AI initiatives, platform modernization, and digital transformation.

15+

Years in Digital Product Leadership

403%

Growth in Digital Subscribers

117%

Increase in Monthly Pageviews

95%

Reduction in Support Requests

(02) Expertise

The expertise I bring to every product.

Product Strategy

AI Product Management

Platform Modernization

Enterprise SaaS

Azure

Analytics

Agile

Roadmapping

Vendor Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Digital Transformation

(03) Experience

Leadership Journey

2021 — Present

Director of Digital

— Block Communications

Lead enterprise digital product strategy, AI initiatives, platform modernization, and cross-functional teams supporting multiple news organizations. Own product roadmaps, vendor partnerships, enterprise budgets, and strategic technology initiatives.

Led the rollout of an enterprise digital delivery platform that contributed to a 403% increase in digital subscribers and 117% growth in monthly pageviews while guiding AI initiatives and platform modernization.

Enterprise Product Strategy • AI • Azure • Vendor Leadership

Enterprise Product Strategy •
AI • Azure • Vendor Leadership

2019 — 2021

Director of Product Development

— E. Viddal & Associates

Led product strategy and software delivery for enterprise publishing platforms while directing cross-functional teams, Agile development, and customer-driven product improvements.

Product Strategy • Agile • Roadmaps • SaaS

2013 — 2019

Product Manager

— E. Viddal & Associates

Owned the product roadmap for an enterprise SaaS content management platform, partnering with customers across North America to prioritize features, improve usability, and modernize newsroom workflows.

Enterprise CMS • Customer Discovery • Product Roadmaps

Enterprise CMS • Customer Discovery
• Product Roadmaps

2004 — 2013

Newsroom Leadership

— The Toledo Blade & The Bradenton Herald

— The Toledo Blade &
The Bradenton Herald

Developed deep expertise in newsroom operations, enterprise CMS implementations, workflow optimization, and change management while leading newspaper production and collaborating across editorial teams.

Operations • Editorial Workflows • Change Management

Operations • Editorial Workflows
• Change Management

(04) Selected Work

A few digital products I'm proud to have led.

Product Portfolio Strategy

NewsSlide Retirement & Product Consolidation

Consolidated overlapping digital newspaper products into a single strategic platform by retiring NewsSlide and the Story Creator CMS, reducing operating costs, simplifying the technology portfolio, and creating a stronger foundation for future innovation.

Product Strategy • Platform Consolidation • Cost Optimization

View Case Study

Platform Modernization

e-Delivery Platform Redesign

Led the modernization of a legacy digital newspaper platform into a responsive experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile that contributed to sustained subscriber growth.

Digital Product Strategy • UX Modernization

View Case Study

AI Product Strategy

AI-Assisted Pagination Strategy

Developed a product strategy and AI concept to streamline newspaper page assembly by reducing manual layout work while preserving editorial control.

AI Product Strategy • Workflow Automation

View Case Study

Platform Modernization

Enterprise Database Modernization

Led the migration of a multi-publication news platform from Microsoft SQL Server to MySQL, coordinating infrastructure, vendor teams, testing, and deployment to reduce licensing costs and create a scalable foundation for future growth.

Platform Strategy • Infrastructure Modernization

View Case Study

(05) LEADERSHIP

How I approach product leadership.

Start with the problem

Every successful initiative begins with understanding customer needs, operational pain points, and business goals before discussing solutions.

Customer Discovery

See It in Practice

Measure everything

Roadmaps should be driven by customer feedback, analytics, operational metrics, and measurable business results.

Data-Driven Decisions

See It in Practice

Balance innovation and execution

New technologies — including AI — should solve real business problems, not exist simply because they're new.

AI Product Strategy

See It in Practice

Align stakeholders

The best products come from bringing engineering, editorial, operations, marketing, and executives together around shared outcomes.

Cross-functional Leadership

See It in Practice

Modernize incrementally

Large transformations succeed through phased delivery that minimizes disruption while continuously delivering value.

Phased Delivery

See It in Practice

Focus on long-term value

Every product decision should reduce complexity, improve maintainability, and create a stronger platform for future innovation.

Platform Strategy

See It in Practice

Start with the problem

Every successful initiative begins with understanding customer needs, operational pain points, and business goals before discussing solutions.

Customer Discovery

See It in Practice

Align stakeholders

The best products come from bringing engineering, editorial, operations, marketing, and executives together around shared outcomes.

Cross-functional Leadership

See It in Practice

Measure everything

Roadmaps should be driven by customer feedback, analytics, operational metrics, and measurable business results.

Data-Driven Decisions

See It in Practice

Modernize incrementally

Large transformations succeed through phased delivery that minimizes disruption while continuously delivering value.

Phased Delivery

See It in Practice

Balance innovation and execution

New technologies — including AI — should solve real business problems, not exist simply because they're new.

AI Product Strategy

See It in Practice

Focus on long-term value

Every product decision should reduce complexity, improve maintainability, and create a stronger platform for future innovation.

Platform Strategy

See It in Practice

(06) Testimonials

Erica has been a superstar throughout the many years I've managed her. She combines product management expertise, initiative, adaptability, and the rare ability to deliver complex products on time without constant oversight. She's someone I could always rely on to get the job done.
John Crisp
Former VP of Product
·
Block Communications
Erica kept the development team focused on the roadmap while balancing changing customer requests against overall product goals. She became the team's encyclopedia of product knowledge and a trusted advocate for both customers and engineering.
Denise Copeland
Former Director of Project Management
·
E. Viddal & Associates
Erica was essential throughout the design, development, and implementation of our products. She consistently translated customer requirements into successful solutions and was instrumental in customer adoption. I would not hesitate to recommend her.
Tim Moore
Former Director of Project Management
·
E. Viddal & Associates

(07) FAQ

Leadership at a Glance.

Who do you work with?

What types of products have you led?

What makes your product approach different?

Have you led AI initiatives?

Are you open to remote or hybrid leadership roles?