MidWestOne Bank
Discovery showed the platform already selected wouldn't meet customer or business needs. Changing course drove 140% growth.
PRODUCT & DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION EXECUTIVE
DIGITAL · PRODUCT · AI
Hi, I'm Heather DeStefano.
I close the gap between strategy and results.
Most organizations know the results they want to achieve. What's harder to know is which problems to solve to deliver them. That's where I come in.
ABOUT ME
A product leader who's great at strategy and can also execute.
I'm a product and digital transformation leader with 15+ years of experience across Financial Services, Healthcare, and Retail. I've delivered results by understanding which problems need to be solved, gaining organizational alignment, and growing the skills of the teams I lead.
I've built and led Product, UX, and Technology teams at organizations including OptumRx, Target, TCF Bank, U.S. Bank, and MidWestOne Bank, launching digital platforms that serve millions of customers. Along the way, I co-invented the Target Kids' Wish List app and hold a US patent for it.
Today I also lead Kinecture Consulting, where I help organizations close the gap between strategy and results across digital, product, and AI initiatives.
RESULTS
Solving the right problems leads to results.
$1.7B
in revenue through 9.1M digital transactions on the OptumRx platforms I led, up 23% year over year.
$45M
in revenue in nine weeks from the Target Kids' Wish List app, which I co-invented and hold a US patent for.
140%
year-over-year growth in digital account openings at MidWestOne, with fraud reduced to near zero.
1.2M
customers converted to a new digital banking platform at TCF Bank.
2 min
time to decision, down from 24 hours.
$1.25M
reduction in vendor services fees.
OptumRx
I partnered with contact center leaders on digital priorities, cutting call volume 10% a month and saving $4M a year.
TCF Bank
I led a team of 25 through 42 deployments in one year, driving 240% growth in digital banking logins.
HOW I WORK
Find the real problem. Align the teams. Sustain the results.
In my experience, initiatives rarely fail because of technology. They fail because teams solve the wrong problem, cross-functional groups aren't aligned, or the right people aren't in place to sustain what was built. I lead by addressing all three.
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Find the real problem
I anchor teams to the business result, then identify the problems worth solving before resources are committed to the wrong ones.
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Align the organization
I define the strategy and how success will be measured, and build the cross-functional alignment that keeps business, technology, and operations focused on the same goal.
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Build teams that sustain it
I identify the skills and roles each initiative needs, then build and grow high-performing teams that deliver results now and sustain them long after launch day.
AI is part of every step, from synthesizing data and customer feedback to uncover the real problem, to deciding where automation fits the strategy, to finding where AI agents can strengthen teams.
WHERE I ADD VALUE
Where I can help.
AI strategy &
workflow optimization
Identify where AI can benefit the organization and which type of AI fits best, then map how work and data flow end to end to find where automation or AI agents will make the most impact.
Digital strategy &
transformation
Create a strategy and roadmap to modernize customer experiences, platforms, and channels, focused on business goals and clearly defined success measures.
Product leadership &
operating models
Build and lead Product, UX, and Technology teams with the roles, skills, and ways of working needed to deliver results now and sustain them long term.
Digital identity, KYC
& fraud prevention
Evaluate and implement integrated digital identity, KYC, KYB, and device identity solutions that reduce fraud without adding friction for customers.
Omnichannel
customer experience
Define seamless, personalized experiences that connect digital and physical channels to drive engagement, loyalty, and business results.
Vendor selection
& negotiation
Guide teams from requirements definition through vendor evaluation, business case creation, and negotiations to select the best fit for customer and business needs.
IN THEIR WORDS
What colleagues say.
- "Sees around the corner"
- "Great at strategy but can also execute"
- "Influences people to get work done"
"If you want to get it done, get it done right, and get it done fast, hire her."
"I don't see you giving up on anyone or any problem to be solved. This unique quality creates a sense of confidence that this mountain can be climbed, and that it can be done with a spark of joy."
"Heather has a unique gift of relationship building, which coupled with her ability to manage stakeholders (from ICs to C-Suite) makes her a dynamic and trusted leader. Her business acumen creates a strong executive presence with confidence that fosters trust and alignment."
"Her knowledge can easily help others understand what they need to know to give good input or assistance in a decision. This was beneficial to me many times in working through vendor analysis and implementing solutions."
CONTACT
Let's talk about the results you're trying to achieve.
If you're looking for a product or digital transformation leader to help your organization close the gap between strategy and results, I'd love to hear what you're working on.