Curriculum Vitae
I’ve always had a passion for design and creativity. From the time I was young I’ve been painting, crafting, cooking, building, welding – whatever I could get my hands to make something new out of. I’ve since developed my own modern design aesthetic based on my very balanced left and right brain lateralization.
| Michael Kovach
(619) 517-5640 | hireme@kovachdesign.com | Laguna Beach, CA
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Director Product Development | Software & UX
Dynamic and accomplished professional renowned for designing and managing software that enhances client experiences and fuels business development. A motivational leader and collaborator, adept at building high-performing teams and guiding them to success. A creative thinker with a deep passion for technology, committed to continuous improvement in planning, processes, quality assurance, and customer satisfaction to drive long-term growth and profitability—focusing not only on the product but, most importantly, on the people.
Selected Highlights
- Directed the software design and program planning for over 50 international aviation projects involving Heads of State.
- Mentored and managed a global design and development team working directly for Panasonic Avionics and Lufthansa Technik.
- Skilled in designing B2B and B2C channels, with experience in consumer goods, biotech, pharmaceuticals, and aviation.
- 15 years of experience in both agency and in-house design, leading the development of nationwide consumer applications.
Professional Experience
IDAIR GMBH | HAMBURG, GERMANY | 2015 TO PRESENT
Director Product Development
- Led the architectural design and development of confidential VVIP aircraft software systems, ensuring they meet scalability, architecture, performance, and reliability standards.
- Developed investment plans and prototypes for technology innovations; worked closely with C-Level leadership for budget approval and board reviews.
- Self-starter leading a software team and driving the UX design for thousands of crew and passenger devices, creating multisensory design solutions that integrate sound, motion, visuals, and lighting.
- Managed, mentored, and collaborated with an international team of program and project managers and vendors to develop B2B and B2C software, enhancing software quality through regular communication and agile iterations.
- Program Management experience leading the planning and operations necessary for managing, improving, developing, integrating, testing, and designing software and hardware.
- Identified methods to continuously enhance processes, boost efficiency, and reduce company expenses.
- Effectively managed budgets of up to $3M quarterly through strategic planning and resource allocation.
VMBC | ALISO VIEJO, CA | 2010 TO 2015
Sr. Manager of UX & Creative Design
- Led an international team of designers and developers to successfully complete over 35 agency projects annually.
- Managed and articulated the strategic design vision for our products, utilizing data-driven qualitative and quantitative insights to develop software within a lean, agile SaaS environment.
- Built a world-class team of user experience designers and developers capable of executing projects from backend B2B solutions to customer-facing applications and the entire communication ecosystem in between.
- Demonstrated strong technical and visual storytelling skills by developing wireframes, flow diagrams, storyboards, and high-fidelity prototypes.
- Analyzed and applied critical app data, including A/B testing and live analytics, to enhance new releases and improve customer experiences.
- Designed and analyzed marketing campaigns across multiple channels and platforms, including mobile coupons, PPC ads, social media, and in-app advertisements.
- Created intuitive, cross-platform UX optimized for Android, iOS, and Windows devices, achieving over 1 million monthly active users and more than 50,000 weekly transactions.
- Guided a team in designing and developing enterprise-level backend SaaS, facilitating $10M in annual revenues.
Core Competencies
| § User Experience/Creative Design | § Leadership & Collaboration | § Strategic Planning |
| § Program Management | § Data/Document Management | § Testing/Troubleshooting |
| § eCommerce/AWS Cloud | § Staff Training & Development | § Performance Assessments |
| § Product Management | § Agile Methodologies | § Organization Management |
| § Software Development | § Research & Analysis | § Client/Customer Service |
| § Organization & Multi-tasking | § Complex Problem-solving | § Process Improvements |
Education
California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA
Bachelor of Science – Agricultural Business; Minor – Marketing
Bachelor of Science – Animal Science; Minor – Equine Science
- Relevant Coursework: Marketing, Advertising, Data Analytics, Business Strategy
- Awards/Honors: National Top 5 IHSA
- Clubs/Activities: IHSA Board Member
- Relevant Projects: Quarter Horse Project, Week of Welcome Leader, Activity Chair
Additional Credentials
| Technical Skills | Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) / SharePoint / Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, XD) / Sketch / InVision / Workday / Basecamp / TeamForge / Asana / JIRA / Confluence / Google Docs / Google Drive / Google Calendar / Google AdWords / QuickBooks / Dropbox / Salesforce / Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) / Marketo / Shopify / AmazonSeller / Mailchimp / HTML / CSS / JavaScript / Android / iOS / Windows / WordPress |
| Online Portfolio | www.kovachdesign.com
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| Organizations | § Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce
§ United States Equestrian Federation § California Hiking and Backpacking
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| Volunteerism | San Diego Remembers / Laguna Beach Senior Center / Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California
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| Interests | Horses / Hiking / Gardening
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References You May Contact
| Prior Direct Bosses | Tobias Kure – Director Corporate Procurement, Lufthansa Technik
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-kurre-699a236/
Ann-Marie Alvarez – Sr. Manager Product Security Engineering, Boeing https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-marie-a-498897141/
Jesse Crowe – CEO, Emerios https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessecrowe/
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