The Thank You List: 2024
Who I want to say thank you to - 2024 edition
2024 has been a tough, tough year. Months between roles, questioning my abilities, money a constant worry, plans put on hold and other life decisions made as a result.
I have some general thoughts and reflections over on LinkedIn:
But this is not about that - this is about celebrating and calling out some wonderful peers and friends in my life who deserve a mention for some sort of interaction we have had in 2024 - or generally for just being awesome.
My close professional friends
Beks Yelland - My partner-in-crime for all things product and mental health - so much cross-over this year in our lives and I feel enriched by your presence and insights whenever we talk!
Paul Wilmott - My best man this year and long-time friend, I could not have asked for a better buddy for my big day!
Stella Nelson - So alike in our thinking, we laugh and cry in unison. Thank you for being my friend again this year, I needed you. And a top-notch Engineering Manager too!
Evelina Dzimanaviciute - You amaze me for all you do and selflessly put into the mental health space, you inspire me so much.
Martin Thirkell - My former co-founder, we might not have achieved that island but we still started something amazing together!
Allie Palmer - Your check ins with me, and how we chuckle about old times/old companies, lift me up! Thank you.
Jacs Gurderley - After a long break I am so glad we reconnected earlier this year (and yes, I need to do so again!) - I cannot wait to read the book - I expect a signed copy!
Gary o’Brien - Long-time friend and colleague, parenting buddy and all round good egg. Thank you chief.
My Product Ops Peers
Antonia Landi - My Product Ops Pal on our Product Ops Chronicles Podcast, I continue to learn so much from your work and enjoy every episode we record together.
Jenny Wanger - One of my top go-to Product Ops knowledge bases across the pond, thank you for your continued sounding board talents!
Lisa Batschelet - You have been a great professional and job-search ally this year. Thank you
Chris Compston - Great Product Ops ally thank you buddy for all you do. We need to do more in 2025!
Kelly Siefe - A real pleasure to listen to your talk at Product Ops Summit: London this year!
Chiara Gardner - Great to chat and get to know you at the Product Ops Summit: London.
Lindsey Shea - A great advocate and voice for Product Ops, you are amazing! And a guest on the Product Ops Chronicles Podcast too.
Koen Dubelaar - Thank you for the interactions and reviews of my work.
May Wong - Forever a lovely person and peer to chat things through with. Thank you for being a guest on the Product Ops Chronicles podcast.
Jana Debusk - I have genuinely loved to see you grow into your role and guest on more events and podcasts (including the Product Ops Chronicles - coming soon!)
Christopher Fox - Great to get to know you the latter part of this year and thank you for being a guest on the Product Ops Chronicles podcast.
Chris Butler - I’m grateful to interact and debate our professional topics together, and your contribution to the Product Ops Chronicles podcast was brilliant. Thank you.
Solomia Laba - Lovely to meet you earlier this year at Product Weekend and follow that up with advice too.
Melissa Southern - fantastic professional thank you for your insights this year and your article on Implementing Tools with Product Ops
Hugo Froes - Always a voice worth listening to, and I do. Honoured to know you buddy.
Holly Holbrook - Amazed by all the new Product Ops stuff you do, constantly innovating and with passion! Thank you for joining us on the Product Ops Chronicles Podcast this year.
Miriam Karlin - A job search ally and all-around good friend, thank you Miriam. Your Product Ops Chronicles Postcast episode is coming soon!
Vivienne Duclos - Lovely to get to know you more this year via Product Ops Pulse.
Diana Soler - I said it this year and I make no apologies, your passion and positivity particularly in Product Ops, is infectious and uplifting! Thank you for being a valued guest on the Product Ops Chronicles Podcast too.
Clare Hawthorne - One of my go-to people for bleeding-edge thoughts on Product Ops, please keep it coming and hope we get to meet sometime in 2025!
Morgan Wilson - thank you for reviewing my work and giving me much-needed feedback and guidance.
Ana Weeks - FINALLY met at the Product Ops Summit: London after so long, and great that you are starting out on your Product Ops journey (and not at all jealous of it being at Lego!).
Gabby Peralta - So much to say… you do so much in our industry and for our profession, I just want to thank you for being you! Product Ops Pulse is becoming a staple of our work now.
Dave Soetanto - My professional and, at times, mental health ally. Thank you buddy, for everything.
Katie Hudson - I have huge respect for you Kate after our exchange in the summer, where I asked for a bit of education on equality, handled with sensitivity and understanding all round. Thank you so much!
My Product Peers
John Cutler - Probably the person I follow and trust most on social media in our profession, and I am honoured to have shared the podcast mic with you earlier this year, and hope to more in 2025.
Jake Brereton - My co-author on the Product Ops Playbook, Jake and Tyler Davies it was a pleasure to also work with you (particularly at a difficult time for me work-wise) with LaunchNotes. I appreciated our working time together.
Jason Knight - Another voice I just listen to, because it is the truth. We may not always align on everything but I value the discourse and how I evaluate my own approaches.
Ross Webb - Building great communities, pleased to be a part of it! Top Prods
Alastair Preacher - Genuine great bloke, great professional, great community advocate. Looking forward to more in 2025, and more Product Tapas please!
Pippa Topp - Not spoken in something like 7 years, then met twice in as many weeks for events! Yet through your endeavours, I have followed your growth and admired all you have achieved.
Karen Wilkins - My job-searching ally for many years now, thank you Karen.
JJ Rorie - Kinds words this year, and have followed all your podcasts since my second appearance, thank you for providing that platform to so many.
Matei Culcer - A pleasure to have spoken a few times this year, podcasted together and I follow the rise and success of ProdCamp with bated breath.
Evie Brockwell - Where to start… loved our podcasts together but the work in bringing burnout in product management to the forefront is simply groundbreaking - thank you for all you do.
Debbie McMahon - A LinkedIn buddy and positive influence for all things Product - though trying to think if we have actually spoken or not (!), but regardless you are a face and voice I look out for.
Cindy Camacho - I’ve valued our chats this year and so so pleased you have been recognised for your work with the PLA award. Thank you for listening to my drivel too!
Mark Hamill - Value colleague-turned-confidant, thanks for our chats throughout the year buddy.
Nick Whitford - I value you and your input, particularly during the tougher months this year, even over a pint!
Dan Chapman - Thank you for all your support and kind words this year chief.
Justin Curhan - A pleasure to support you and Velma, so exciting to see everything growing.
Ant Anderson - Though only for a short time working together, I am grateful to know you, and for helping to settle me into my new role. You are a great Product Leader.
Joe Tarragano - Muchy grateful for your bringing me into HeliosX, supporting my role and development and all we will achieve in 2025.
Tasneem Gould - Another ‘where to begin’ moment but I have valued all our conversations this year, literally across the globe! A great to see GSD growing and the various ventures you have joined.
Irene Liakos - I’ve loved our chats, from professional to personal to random! Thank you too for having me on the Circles Podcast in the summer.
Pontus Gifvas - Have loved sharing and exchanging ideas with you on all things Product and Version Lens, great to see it continuing to shift and grow.
Jane Austin - Your advice and help this year have been invaluable, even just the intros have been great. Thank you
Ana Cavero - My summer job-search buddy!! I am very glad to have gotten to know you this year and share in our successes and challenges.
James Gunaca - Thanks for all the career stuff you provided me and more publicly, doing a fab job highlighting the realities of the product career.
Gabi Walshaw - Been connected for so many years in various guises but you have been a constant ally throughout all that, thank you!
Chardi Taylor - From the other side of the world you reached out when times were very tough with the kindest words, thank you so much.
Dan Dalton - We catch up at events and chew the fat, a pleasure to do it again this year!"
Craig Jones - Kind words and support during tough times, once again - thank you buddy.
Phil Hornby - Love your podcasts and looking forward to guesting in 2025!
Shawn Pons - You are always checking in with me, that is just great in itself. Thank you
Ana Andrade - You do an incredible job leading the Product Ops HQ community, thank you from myself and every member!
Joao Moita - Doing an amazing job with the Product Weekend, thank you for inviting me to the inaugural London event this year!
Miguel Cardoso - Thank you for having me present to Twistag earlier this year on all things Product Ops!
Sara Machado - Thank you for all our conversations on working together on mental health and welling in product management Imposter PM | Product Mind Community
My Mental Health, Wellbeing & Community Peers
Janine van Someren - Incredible professional and a valued guest for the Product Mind Community earlier this year.
Hannah Sims - Grateful to get to know you more this year, the work you are doing to build the Female Product Lead is amazing.
Katie Maycock - My go-to specialist and expert on professional burnout, and all-round lovely person and friend.
Amy Freelander - Have valued our conversations in 2024, I hope 2025 is your year, because you do deserve it!
Jenny Chong - Long-time mentee turned friend, I hope for big things for you in 2025 and all your plans!
Katrin Viella - Katrin I am so grateful to have connected and spoken about my daughter with you, you have helped me and my family so so much with your advice. Thank you!"
Nick Jemetta - I always stop to read your words, your research. A pleasure to have shared the mic this year
Tosin Onibon-oje - Always always always value your input and guidance, particularly on MH matters.
Nivedita Roberts - So many conversations this year where each of us have had difficulties, and as much as I have been pleased to support you, you should know just how much you have helped me too just by listening. Thank you
Tammy Wallace - Absolute pleasure to have met you at ProductCon this year, a catch up is needed in 2025 to chat about PMC!
Sean Gabriel - Words of advice, an ear to listen, podcasting on product careers, you have done a lot this year for the Product Mind Community and me Sean, thank you.
Gabrielle Gonka - We have supported each other through some stuff these past few years, thank you!
My Great Recruitment Contacts
This year has been a tough one for employment, and a lot has been said (also by me too) about recruiters and talent teams. Despite all that, there are some absolutely brilliant, fantastic recruiters I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with, and I want to call them out and highly recommend them and their services:
Nicola Morse & Emma Storey - in particular, you are both so kind with your time towards me, many others we all know and your passion for community, mental health and women in product. Here
and also Duncan Fraser, Craig Furniss & Teagan O’Donovan - all of you very kind with your time, your efforts, your following up. Thank you
Others
Sean Foreman - Never too busy for a quick chat!
Stephanie Chamberlain - Inspiring launch this year, thank you for inviting me
Ruth Rose - Great partner for the Product Ops Summit: London this year, and all the prep to make it happen was brilliant. Thank you.
Cathie Gibbens - I mean… you helped get me at least one job this year, and referred to several others… I’m not sure how much ‘Thank You’ covers it.
Elina Lam-Gall - A genuine pleasure to work with you this year at Said Business School
Steve Brewster - Thank you for bringing me in at Said Business School, I loved the work we did together and changes we made.
Claire Hamelin - Thank you for checking in with me throughout the year!
Toby Hughes - A pleasure to have worked with you at Book My Garage this year.
Andy Wardleworth - More kind words back and forth this year, as I believe last year too. Thank you.
Alex Elliott - Thank you for having me as a guest to talk about Mental Health in Product Management
Eileen Donnelly - Loved working with you on your new Mental Health app project, and getting to know you across 2024!
Ahmed El-Sharkasy - Thank you for having me on your Unpopular Podcast this year.
Nathan Powell - Brilliant UX designer and man to chat with!
Tom Dolan - I might not have been successful in my application to work with you, but honestly it was a great experience, well planned, very considerate and gave me every opportunity. This doesn’t happen often, you and the team should be proud of this.
Katie o’Shea - From Cobalt and beyond, I am glad to know you, making data protection less dry!
Denny Klisch - Thank you for having me on the Product Management Stories podcast this year
Janice Turner - A pleasure to get to know you a bit more and see Kiki coming to life!
Rebecca Madro - Thank you so much for all your help with the podcast this year and your constant support!
Helen Wentworth - Probably the person I have known the longest on this whole post, I am so grateful to you for your support this year, with a kind word or advice or offer for support. Thank you.
Those who/where we have helped each other in the murky world of job hunting
Across this year, despite everything in my own job hunting, I have valued supporting others in their career journies too, whether it be getting a new role or promotion, handling situations or advancing their knowledge. I continue to wish you luck and support when you need it. Similarly, you have been generous with your time to offer me support and advice. Thank you
Catherine Damisa | John Ellis | Elena Hauerhof | Natalie Navickas | Ronan McCrory | Marcus Evans | Gergana Atanasova | Zunaira Elahi | Hannah Hughes | James Williams | Karl Persson | Tim Thornton | John Jefferies | Katia De Juan | Andy Freeburn | Matt Rigbye | Rukmini Baruah | Claire Buckingham | Linda Kong | Mittali Rustagi | Yasmin Desai | Somyata Sharma
Thank you all.
Graham