📍VP of Design at Deutsche Bank
...
Ellen Kovalenko — Product Design Leader

Strategic design leader with 13 years of experience delivering impactful user-centered solutions for industry leaders including Klarna, Deloitte, Verifone, Atea, and Deutsche Bank.

Known for challenging the status quo and inspiring high-performance teams, I bring a strategic, data-driven approach to simplifying the complex and ambiguous. I’m dedicated to elevating user experience, driving growth, and fostering innovation at every level.


đź”’ PORTFOLIO
Klarna — 2022, Berlin HQ
Shopping Feed

I led the redesign of the app's shopping discovery feed to align with key business objectives: enhancing customer satisfaction, building trust, and attracting new users. By crafting a strategy centered on personalization, integrating influencer-driven and AI content, and creating a seamless user journey, I transformed the feed into a cohesive entry point for the shopping experience.
This initiative made the feed a top company priority, taking up the entire homepage and reinforcing its role as a crucial revenue-driving feature for Klarna’s business partners.

App Home, Discovery Shopping, AI, Personalization. Design Strategy, Content Strategy, Personalisation Strategy, Hands-on Design and Prototypes, User Research, Testing and Analysis, Discovery, Cross-functional Team Alignment, Mentoring, and Overseeing Preparation for the launch.

Klarna — 2021, Berlin HQ
Ads Manager

Developing Klarna's AI-Powered Ads Manager Platform from the Ground Up. I initiated and led the 0-to-1 development of Klarna’s Ads Manager Platform, designed to empower marketers to personalize campaigns at scale while reducing day-to-day friction.
This intuitive self-service solution enables partners to manage ad campaigns seamlessly from creation to execution. Leveraging AI, the platform offers automated ad creation, precise targeting, and real-time analytics. Now supporting 500,000 merchants, the Ads Manager has driven a 30% increase in CTR post-launch, positioning Klarna as a leader in scalable, data-driven marketing innovation.


Advertisement Platform, Gen AI, 0 to 1, Personalisation, Analytics. Design Strategy, User Journeys, JTBD, User Stories, In-depth research, Cross-functional Collaboration, Identifying Opportunities, Discovery, Wireframing, Stakeholder management.

ABC Financial — 2020, Dallas
Club Manager

As the design manager, I led the creation of a holistic gym management platform that streamlined operations for gym owners. The platform offers comprehensive solutions, including Member Management, Billing and Collections, Scheduling, and Reporting and Analytics.
During a critical transformation period, I established quality standards and ensured a user-centered design approach, driving efficiency and innovation in the fitness management industry.


Revenue Management, Payments, Subscriptions, PoS, Scheduling. Product Design Strategy, User Research, Discovery, Design and Prototyping, User Journeys, Cross-functional Team Collaboration, Team Management, and Quality Control.

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Deloitte — 2019, Chicago
AI Tax Processing

Led the design for a Data Wrangling team within a complex data processing solution powered by ML and AI. The platform was designed to automate processes for preparing, blending, and analyzing data, enabling scalable and repeatable workflows.
This solution significantly reduced the time and risks associated with manual intervention, empowering users to achieve efficiency and accuracy in their data-driven tasks.


ML, Data Processing, Data Collection, Data Preparation, Data Wrangling. Information Architecture, Prototyping, Testing, In-depth Research, User Journeys, Cross-functional Team Collaboration, Identifying Opportunities, Discovery, Ensuring Accessibility and Compliance. 

Verifone, Curb — 2018, NYC
Taxi Ecosystem

Ownership of the design at Curb (formerly Verifone Taxi System) — the leading taxi dispatch and payment platform in NYC and across the USA. Oversaw a comprehensive taxi ecosystem comprising a portfolio of 10+ products spanning  Transportation, Media, and Payment Processing, delivering seamless, user-centered solutions at scale.


0 to 1, Driver App, Rider App, Payments, Ads Platform, Map Navigation, Web Tools: Design Strategy, In-depth Research, Cross-functional Team Collaboration, Identifying Opportunities, and Driving Discovery. Establishing Design Processes and Managing Designers. 


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Atea — 2016, Riga
Ecosystem Marketplace

Solo designer for an Ecosystem Marketplace & Subscription Billing Platform for Distributors, Sellers, Managed service providers, and Vendors to automate sales and manage the partner channel.


B2B Subscription Management, Catalog, Billing, Ecosystem, Core. Research, Design and Prototyping, Quality Control, Cross-functional Team Collaboration, Identifying Opportunities, Preparing Assets for Development. 

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