Ilenia Raffaella Albanese
About
Product Manager | Bridging Technical Strategy & User Experience | Fintech & Beyond
I believe the best digital products are born at the intersection of empathy for the user and a deep understanding of the underlying technology. Over the last decade, I’ve navigated the complexities of the banking and financial services sector, transforming abstract business needs into impactful digital solutions. My approach is hands-on: I’m just as comfortable interviewing customers to uncover pain points as I am digging into application logs to assess system behavior. Why work with me? I specialize in reducing operational risk and streamlining processes without sacrificing innovation. By combining my technical background with a user-focused mindset, I ensure that every sprint delivers tangible value. I’m passionate about building products that aren't just functional, but essential. 🔮 What’s Next? With a proven track record of aligning product strategy with business objectives, I am now looking to bring my experience to a new challenge. I am open to exploring Product Manager and Business Analyst roles where I can drive the development of high-impact, customer-centric digital products - whether in my traditional home of finance or in an entirely new industry.
Social Media:
Skills
Business Requirements
Product Management
Requirements Engineering
Stakeholder Management
Strategic Roadmaps
Open for
fulltime
freelancer
Work Experience
Joint S.r.l.
2011-02 - 2012-04
Webmaster
Other
fulltime
In my role as SEO, Web Content Manager & WebMaster at Joint s.r.l. in Milan, Lombardy, Italy, I was responsible for optimizing websites, rewriting content, and creating user guides to enhance the overall user experience. I also served as the main point of contact between the event planning company and the software house, facilitating communication and promoting innovative ideas.
Indra Italia S.p.A.
2012-04 - 2017-06
Business Analyst and Developer
Other
fulltime
Led detailed user interviews and requirements-gathering sessions for cost-reduction initiatives, delivering a 20% reduction in operational expenses and increasing paperless communication adoption. Monitored front- and back-office workflows to identify usability gaps and authored comprehensive User Guides to streamline the adoption of new system functionalities. Engineered and deployed over 100 bespoke features for the bank’s CRM and dispute management back-office applications. Managed the end-to-end software development lifecycle, from preparing detailed specification documents to executing code optimization and reverse engineering. Administered day-to-day troubleshooting and debugging protocols, resolving hundreds of critical production issues to ensure 24/7 system availability and accuracy.
NTT Data Italia S.p.A.
2017-08 - 2018-08
Senior Consultant
Other
freelancer
Bridged a critical human resources gap by upskilling the existing engineering team, enabling a rapid transition from object-oriented Java environments to the PeopleTools framework. Authored technical training manuals and best-practice guides to ensure code consistency and architectural integrity across the newly integrated development squad. Directed the newly trained developer team in the successful execution of the initial phase for a high-priority card scheme dispute resolution project. Managed the end-to-end integration of Visa dispute resolution protocols within the PeopleSoft environment, ensuring strict compliance with global card scheme requirements.
Nexi
2018-08 - 2020-10
Project Manager
Other
fulltime
Directed the end-to-end delivery of high-stakes CRM, payments, and dispute management systems catering to both B2B and B2C segments. Drove comprehensive roadmap planning and requirement definition for multi-million-euro programs, ensuring alignment between technical capabilities and long-term business objectives. Governed the project lifecycle by coordinating cross-functional stakeholders and external suppliers, mitigating risks. Standardized reporting KPIs and progress tracking mechanisms to provide executive leadership with transparent visibility into program health and resource allocation. Optimized digital toolsets and automated workflows to reduce the average dispute resolution cycle from 10 to 6 days, significantly improving operational throughput.
EPAM Systems
2020-10 - 2024-01
Senior Business Analyst and Product Owner
Zürich
fulltime
Supported delivery of two major B2C digital banking products for a leading Swiss bank. Managed demand pipeline (200+ requests/year) and defined prioritization frameworks aligned with agile delivery goals. Collaborated with Product Owners and Tech Leads to design scalable API-based integrations and data workflows. Applied data-driven analysis (SQL) for root cause detection, user behaviour insights, and feature validation. Created product templates and process automation tools that increased BA throughput by 30%. Partnered with engineering to define functional and non-functional requirements for core payment modules.
Fides Treasury Services
2024-01 - 2026-05
Product Manager and Requirements Engineer
Zürich
fulltime
Spearheaded the launch of a B2B corporate liquidity management tool, delivering core payment automation features from concept to market. Translated strategic business objectives into a high-performing product roadmap that resolved critical client pain points in cash operations. Directed a cross-functional team, driving continuous product enhancements that significantly reduced manual workflows and boosted user satisfaction. Championed UI/UX transformation in partnership with engineering and design, resulting in streamlined onboarding and faster feature adoption. Institutionalized client-centricity by launching structured feedback loops and live demo sessions, ensuring release priorities aligned with market demand.
Academic Experience
Università degli studi eCampus -
2025.10 - 2028.11
Bachelor of Arts, BA in Political Science