Digital Product Leader | Platform Strategy | AI

Digital Product Leader | Platform Strategy

Digital Product Leader

Erica Thomas

Leading digital product strategy, enterprise platform modernization, and technical product development. Experienced in building SaaS products, leading technical teams, and delivering measurable business results.

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(01) About

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

I bring more than 13 years of product management experience, progressing from enterprise software user to SaaS Product Manager and Director of Digital.

My work spans enterprise platform strategy, product modernization, third-party integrations, AI initiatives, and technical team leadership. I've managed software developers and implementation professionals, defined complex product requirements, and worked with engineering teams to turn business challenges into scalable solutions.

I focus on connecting technology decisions to measurable business outcomes, improving customer experiences, and helping organizations modernize with purpose.

13+

Years in Digital Product Leadership

403%

Growth in Digital Subscribers

$381K

ANNUAL OPERATING SAVINGS

94.28%

AUTOMATED COMMENT APPROVAL

(02) Expertise

The expertise I bring to every product.

Product Strategy

Technical Team Management

Platform Modernization

Enterprise SaaS

Azure

Analytics

Agile

Product Roadmaps & Requirements

Vendor Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Platform Integrations

(03) Experience

Leadership Journey

2021 — Present

Director of Digital

— Block Communications

Lead enterprise digital product strategy, platform modernization, and AI initiatives supporting multiple news organizations. Own product roadmaps, technology investments, vendor partnerships, and cross-functional delivery while collaborating with executive leadership to drive business results.

Led digital product improvements supporting 403% subscriber growth, from 6,127 to more than 30,800. Partnered with the CEO on product consolidation that eliminated approximately $381K in annual operating costs, while modernizing reader engagement and digital publishing platforms.

Product Strategy • Digital Transformation • AI • Azure • Executive Leadership

Enterprise Product Strategy •
AI • Azure • Vendor Leadership

2019 — 2021

Director of Product Development

— E. Viddal & Associates

Led product strategy, roadmaps, and software development for Libercus, an enterprise CMS and digital publishing platform serving customers across North America. Directed cross-functional teams and Agile delivery while balancing customer needs, technical priorities, and business objectives.

Authored a 35-page Software Requirements Specification for a major digital reading product redesign, defining user workflows, functional requirements, technical dependencies, and validation criteria.

Product Strategy • Requirements Engineering • Agile • Product Roadmaps

2014 — 2019

Product Manager

— E. Viddal & Associates

Owned product roadmaps, feature prioritization, and requirements for Libercus, an enterprise content management and digital publishing platform. Partnered with customers, Engineering, UX, and QA to translate business needs into product enhancements, improve usability, and modernize publishing workflows.

Managed competing priorities, customer feedback, and technical dependencies throughout product development and release.

Managed an eight-person development and support/implementation team, overseeing daily priorities, product delivery, and customer-facing technical operations. Defined enterprise platform requirements, including role-based access controls and permissions.

Managed competing priorities, customer feedback, and technical dependencies throughout product development and release.

Product Management • Enterprise CMS • Customer Discovery • Agile Delivery

Enterprise CMS • Customer Discovery
• Product Roadmaps

2013 — 2014

Assistant Product Manager

— E. Viddal & Associates

Supported product planning, requirements gathering, and customer-driven enhancements for the Libercus enterprise CMS. Worked with customers and Engineering to document publishing workflows, investigate product issues, coordinate testing, and support software releases.

Requirements Gathering • Product Development • Customer Support

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

Digital Product Strategy

Reader Engagement & Commenting Platform Modernization

Led the replacement of The Blade's commenting platform with Viafoura, improving moderation efficiency and expanding reader engagement through content recommendations, Live Chat, and author notifications. Achieved a 94.28% automated comment approval rate and helped drive sustained growth in comment readership and audience participation.

Product Strategy • Audience Engagement • Platform Modernization

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 led several of our most consequential technology projects, including a major CMS upgrade, while the newsroom kept publishing every day. She kept complex projects moving with clear timelines, honest status updates, and a steady hand when something went sideways.
Mike Brice
Former Managing Editor
·
Toledo Blade
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?