02/27/2026
This week we had the opportunity to hear from outstanding panelists on what the role of Product Managers actually looks like across their companies.
We were joined by:
Antonia Violante (IPD ’23) - Product manager at Vanguard
Chris Thomas (IPD ’23) - Product manager at Fiserv
Taylor Gannon - Product manager at Perpay
We unpacked:
The core skills required to be an effective PM
How the role shifts depending on company stage and structure
Practical advice on breaking into the industry
And what truly differentiates strong candidates
It was an insightful conversation on how the IPD program intentionally equips students with the cross-functional thinking, technical fluency, and structured problem-solving required in product management; making the path feel far more tangible.
Thank you to our IPD career team for organizing such a thoughtful event; beautifully moderated by Maansi Manchanda; VP of careers and Alumni relations