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"For you to be happy, you have to be able to close your eyes at the end of the day and say I have done my best today," - Alice P., Senior Director of Product Management
Alice is a technologist, a mother, a former ship captain, and a skiing coach. We sat down with her as she shared her outlook on life, following her passion.
A Day in the Life of a Product Manager
Alice's days typically start with checking emails to address any urgent issues. She then attends meetings with her team to discuss the progress of ongoing projects and brainstorm ideas for future products. Throughout the day, Alice works closely with designers and engineers to ensure everyone is on the same page.
"As a Product Manager, you'll likely spend time communicating with different teams to align the product vision," Alice said. "Be prepared to make decisions, prioritize tasks, and adapt changes in product development."
Alice's favorite part of working at ADP is connecting with other technologists. From attending virtual webinars to in-person networking, there are always opportunities to share and learn something new. She also focuses on building a solid and collaborative team by encouraging open communication and supporting one another.
"I believe you create most of your success. That's also one of the reasons I love design systems. I work with Designers, Developers, Content Writers, and Clients. My every day looks different," Alice said. "ADP associates give their absolute best in meetings, especially idea proposals. People listen to each other and evaluate before giving feedback."
Work and Life Adventure
Before coming to ADP, Alice had worked in India, China, and many countries before moving from Denmark to the US. When asked how she went from a Ship Captain to a Product Manager, Alice always gives the answer that curiosity and going after something she loves brings her new adventures.
The same applies to her passion outside of work – doing sports and becoming a skiing coach. Fifteen years ago, Alice lived in an area ten minutes from a mountain. During the winter, the mountain had a program in many sports, and Alice signed her sons up for a ski racing program. That decision connected her family to the skiing community and changed their lives forever. Alice trained Olympic star, Sarah Escobar when she was young. In her spare time, Alice also helps train and manage her two sons, who ski for the Danish National Team as they compete in world championships.
"I was never afraid of pursuing new directions, including learning new sports. My thoughts were: let's try this and if it doesn't work out, let's try something else," Alice said.
Focus on You
Alice has always been a strong advocate of learning new skills, and she traced it all back to her favorite children's book series "Pippi Longstocking" by Swedish Author Astrid Lindgren. In it, the fictional main character, Pippi, is a strong, unconventional little girl with a positive attitude of "Oh, that I have not done. I am sure I'm going to be great."
Alice channels Pippi’s confidence when she navigates through new waves of challenges. From covering all technical platforms across brands to managing stakeholders, Alice enjoys leading global projects and describes herself as an out-of-the-box thinker.
She remembers the days of becoming the first female captain, and her advice to the team remains the same: focus on what you can control. In sailing, one cannot control the weather. In skiing, one cannot control how well the opponent skis. In designing, one cannot control how the market goes. The key is to train one's mindset and keep learning.
"It doesn't matter what you do, programming, sports or both, follow your heart," Alice said. "If you are unsure what that is, ask what you don't like." The same goes for hiring the next technologist. "I believe if you have passion, you will learn the skills," Alice said. She encourages candidates to try something new, whether a hobby or work function.
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