Rising Stars: Meet Rich Gibsen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rich Gibsen. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my career as a Product Manager in the late 90s at JDA Software (now Blue Yonder) focused on delivering merchandise management solutions to retail customers. Working at JDA was an amazing experience that gave me a solid foundation for Product Management principles and the discipline. 

From there, I worked at a Scottsdale startup in the eCommerce space called Vcommerce. This company delivered SaaS eCommerce storefront and backend capabilities and was at the beginning of the SaaS evolution for software, and was acquired by Google in early 2013. 

I joined Scottsdale-based Taser (now Axon) as Product Manager for their own officer video solution and SaaS-based evidence management solution to help provide visibility, chain of custody, and accessibility of video evidence gathered by law enforcement. 

Prior to joining MyCarrier, I was Vice President of Product Management for a company based in Irvine California called SecureAuth that is focused on solving the challenges associated with identity security and access management. 

Which brings me to my current position today with MyCarrier. As Vice President of Product Management, I am helping the team create a platform that connects carriers and customers instantly and without barriers to fuel the future of supply chain. 

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Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A career in Product Management is definitely not a linear path, which is both a challenge and an opportunity. The most rewarding and rapid parts of the journey have been when I have focused on the customer problem and really gotten into the mind of the customer, and how they view the issues. The friction and struggles have happened when the focus is off, or when I am not thinking from the customer perspective. Over the years I have learned, when in doubt, relentlessly focus on the customer. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Every Product Manager you talk with will have a unique journey and story on how they became a Product Manager, and why they stay with the profession, and I am no different. 

When you have a passion for identifying problems and solving them, you are drawn to any career that is centered on that function, like Product Management. 

But the secret weapon of any successful Product Manager is their ability to influence, communicate and convince. Of all the tools in the PM toolbox, these are the most powerful, and I think I have successfully developed these over the years. My ability to listen and translate across different audience types has always allowed me to get to the right answer and deliver a solution that delights. 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think we will see a significant expansion of the depth and breadth of Transportation Management Solution capabilities based on market demands. This will include support for more modes of transport, better and more granular analytics and event management capabilities, integration of asset-based and for-hire freight management on a single platform, support for global logistics, and more. 

Our customers are managing highly fragmented and complex ecosystems today, and they will be demanding more integration, standardization, and optimized solutions that allow them to run their businesses more efficiently. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://go.mycarrier.io/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shipmycarrier/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shipmycarrier/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShipMyCarrier
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzaMDxOQZQSY2aGKJitv5pw