Whether it’s your first full-time role or a bold pivot from another field, the early years in product management bring unique challenges—especially in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing landscape. New grads and career-switchers alike face distinct hurdles as they learn to navigate ambiguity, build influence, and drive impact.

Join four seasoned product leaders as they share battle-tested strategies for thriving in your first few years as a PM. This panel dives into how professionals at any career stage can overcome common early-career pitfalls, accelerate their growth, and make meaningful contributions from day one. Expect practical insights, real stories, and frameworks designed to support both fresh graduates and experienced professionals finding their footing in product.

This panel is designed for:
⭐ Professionals at any career stage with 0-5 years of product management experience
⭐ Career-changers who bring valuable previous experience but are new to product roles
⭐ Mid to senior-level professionals who recently transitioned into product management
⭐ Junior PMs looking to accelerate their growth and avoid common pitfalls
⭐ Individuals who recently moved from adjacent roles (design, engineering, marketing) into product management

We'll explore topics such as:
🎤 Leveraging Transferable Skills: How to apply your existing professional expertise to product management
🎤 Building Your Product Toolkit: Essential frameworks for PM success in 2025, regardless of prior experience
🎤 Stakeholder Management: Establishing credibility and influence as a newer PM
🎤 Finding Your Product Voice: Developing confidence in product decisions when you're new to the discipline
🎤 AI Collaboration: Using AI tools to accelerate your learning curve and amplify your impact
🎤 Career Navigation: Charting your unique path forward in product management

Panelists:

👨🏻 Timothy Yeung (he/him): Director of Product at Hootsuite & Lead PM Instructor at UBC
Background: Accounting & Finance 🧮
With experience teaching, coaching and mentoring product professionals from diverse backgrounds through ProductBC and UBC Sauder, Timothy brings valuable insights on successfully transitioning into and growing within product management.

👨🏼 Jason Ropchan (he/him): Director of Enterprise Products at TELUS
Background: Entrepreneurship 💡
Jason will share perspectives on how professionals at different career stages can navigate enterprise environments and leverage their unique backgrounds to drive product impact.

👩🏻 Ti Wu (she/her) - Lead Product Manager at CoPilot AI
Background: Cognitive Systems 📚
Ti brings experience from the AI startup world and can speak to how professionals transitioning into product roles can thrive in fast-paced, innovation-driven environments.

👨🏻 Jacky Cheung (he/him) - Senior Product Manager at AWS
Background: Consulting 💼
Jacky offers insights on excelling in technically complex environments and how PMs from different backgrounds can develop the essential cross-functional skills needed for success.