Melanie Yencken – UX Director at Google

Melanie is the UX Director within the Google Search Team, leveraging her extensive experience in building and leading UX teams on a global scale, with notable roles at Startups, Schibsted, and eBay. Beyond her corporate endeavors, Melanie is the founder of Rise Network, formerly known as LondonTechLadies, a women’s network dedicated to organizing events focused on soft skill development. Her mission is to inspire and empower women to ascend the career ladder, fostering increased gender diversity within upper management.
As a speaker, Melanie covers a range of compelling topics:

1. 1. Why I created LondonTechLadies: Sharing insights gained from growing the community to over 4000 women and how empowering and developing women is integral to organizational success.
   2. Soft skills to succeed: Guiding women in developing crucial soft skills such as negotiation, confidence, networking, and presence to thrive in the workplace.
   3. Leading International UX teams: Lessons learned from building and leading UX teams across diverse locations including London, the US, Mexico, Morocco, Hungary, Belarus, China, Finland, Spain, and Switzerland.
   4. Building inclusive (UX) team culture: Insights into creating a team culture that prioritizes diversity and inclusion, contributing to talent retention and growth. (YouTube Recording available)
   5. My career journey: Chronicles Melanie’s progression into tech leadership, highlighting pivotal moments like building mentorship, negotiating her path into management, and navigating through agencies, startups, and major tech players like eBay and Google.
   6. How to run a Google Design Sprint: Melanie imparts her lessons learned from running sprints, offering a toolkit for those looking to embark on the journey. (Medium Article available)
   7. Inviqa – CXcon Experience Transformation Conference: Melanie’s insightful presentation was captured in a YouTube recording.
   8. Venturi Podcast: Engaging in a discussion about founding London Tech Ladies and her impassioned commitment to gender diversity.

Melanie’s multifaceted expertise and commitment to empowering women in technology shine through in her speaking engagements, making her a respected figure in the industry.