Work

INDEED
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Senior Manager, Product

Austin, TX, US

Summary

Led product strategy and innovation for Indeed's core AI user experiences, delivering best-in-class solutions and driving significant revenue growth.

Highlights

Built Indeed's first core AI user experiences, including a chat-based job search agent, through a strategic OpenAI partnership.

Integrated generative AI into resume optimization tools, significantly improving resume quality by 75%.

Led a 200-person unit providing career coaching to 12,000 paying job seekers monthly.

Increased purchase conversion by 25% through demand growth and UX optimization, contributing to substantial new recurring profits.

Delivered 20% profit margins, generating $1.5 million in new recurring profits from Indeed's Career Help subsidiary.

VARIOUS RESTAURANT & QSR VENTURES
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Restaurateur & Commercial Real Estate Developer

Buffalo, NY, US

Summary

Managed and developed various restaurant and quick-service restaurant ventures, alongside commercial real estate development.

Highlights

Oversaw all aspects of restaurant operations and commercial real estate development, driving business growth and profitability.

Identified and acquired strategic real estate assets to support the expansion of restaurant concepts.

INDEED
|

Director of Product Management

Austin, TX, US

Summary

Provided executive leadership and strategic direction for a 250-employee R&D product and engineering department, driving significant revenue and innovation.

Highlights

Provided executive leadership to a 250-employee R&D product and engineering department, defining the Product Operations role and establishing a new function and team.

Launched the company's first suite of native mobile apps, generating $20 million in new revenue.

Championed the growth of various R&D products in the HR Tech space, leveraging off-brand assets.

Fostered a strategic partnership with OpenAI in 2021 as an early adopter, spearheading AI-driven automation initiatives.

WESTERN NEW YORK STARTUP COMMUNITY
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Advisor, Investor, Coach & Board Member

Buffalo, NY, US

Summary

Contributed to the growth and development of the Western New York startup ecosystem through advisory, investment, coaching, and board membership.

Highlights

Provided strategic guidance and mentorship to emerging startups, leveraging extensive experience in product development and market scaling.

Invested in promising ventures and facilitated connections within the startup community to foster innovation and growth.

BLACKMOON FINANCIAL GROUP
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Strategic Advisor

New York, NY, US

Summary

Advised on US regulations for a successful ICO, raising significant capital through public token sales.

Highlights

Advised the team on US regulatory compliance, contributing to a successful ICO in 2017 that raised $30 million USD via a public token sale.

TELEGRAM MESSENGER
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Co-Founder and CIO

Miami, FL, US

Summary

Co-founded Telegram Messenger, leading operations from startup to global launch and driving its rapid adoption as a top mobile messaging platform.

Highlights

Led operations and directed IT/product, overseeing go-to-market execution to build the world's #1 downloaded mobile messaging platform.

Achieved viral growth, earning the #1 ranking on Apple App Store and Google Play Store in 50+ countries, reaching over 1 billion monthly active users (MAU).

Architected a private global cloud network, enabling high-speed, high-bandwidth, multi-platform applications with points of presence on 4 continents.

Liaised with corporations and strategic partners, negotiating contracts and ensuring worldwide regulatory compliance with government agencies.

VK.COM
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Senior Director of Product Management

St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Summary

Maintained oversight of international business activities for Europe's largest social media platform, driving growth and achieving a multi-billion dollar valuation.

Highlights

Planned and executed a major corporate rebranding from Vkontakte.ru to VK.com, driving international localization and growth campaigns that reached 100 million MAU.

Realized a $3 billion USD valuation for the company through a private sale in 2014.

Bridged communications and aligned objectives cross-functionally across monetization, business development, engineering, and legal, enabling payments and mobile gaming.

Facilitated international business compliance and fostered tier-1 partnerships, enabling global commercialization.

D. AXEL NEFF

Executive Product Leader
Sarasota, US.

About

Results-driven Product Leader with a proven track record of creating category-defining products, driving viral growth, and scaling companies to multi-billion-dollar enterprise value. Expert in strategic vision, cross-functional execution, and leveraging AI/LLM integrations to deliver award-winning solutions and generate significant revenue. Known for building high-performing teams and fostering strategic partnerships to exceed targets and enhance user experience.

Education

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE
Swarthmore, PA, United States of America

Bachelor of Science

Engineering

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - THE WHARTON SCHOOL
Philadelphia, PA, United States of America

Executive Education

Advanced Management Program (AMP)

Y-COMBINATOR
Mountain View, CA, United States of America

YC Startup School

Awards

Best-in-Class Award for Resume Builder & Resume Review Services

Awarded By

CNET (Indeed)

Recognized for creating industry-leading resume builder and resume review services, highlighting innovation and effectiveness in career tools.

#1 Ranking for America's Best Customer Service in HR Tech

Awarded By

Newsweek (SimplyHired)

Achieved for outstanding customer service in the HR Technology sector, reflecting excellence in user support and satisfaction.

Europas Award Winner for Fastest Growing European Startup

Awarded By

Europas

Awarded to Telegram Messenger for its rapid growth and impact in the European startup ecosystem.

Skills

Executive Leadership

Executive Leadership.

Enterprise Product Strategy

Enterprise Product Strategy.

Agile Methodologies

Agile Methodologies.

Big Data & AI Analytics

Big Data & AI Analytics.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence.

Risk Management

Risk Management.

Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning.

Change Management

Change Management.

Product Innovation

Product Innovation.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Data-Driven Decision Making.

Team Empowerment

Team Empowerment.

Operational Excellence

Operational Excellence.

Partnership Strategy

Partnership Strategy.

Revenue Optimization

Revenue Optimization.

Digital Asset Strategy

Digital Asset Strategy.