About

Strategy, design,
and delivery.

I believe the best work happens at the intersection of business goals and human needs. For 20+ years I’ve led product and design teams inside some of the most complex organizations in healthcare, retail, and financial services — and I bring that same senior-level thinking directly to the teams that need it most.

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Sarah Jellison, design and strategy consultant

My Story

The long version,
kept short.

I started my career doing design and research across industries before finding my way into large-scale digital product teams. That hybrid background — part agency, part in-house — is probably my biggest advantage. I know how both worlds think.

Years inside healthcare, retail, and financial services at companies like UnitedHealth Group, Target, and US Bank taught me how to move complex things forward inside complex organizations. Big stakeholder maps. Big technical constraints. High stakes.

What I noticed over time: the best outcomes didn’t come from more process — they came from having someone who could hold strategy and execution in the same hand. Someone who could sit in a business meeting, understand what was really being asked, and then go build it.

That’s the kind of work I do now — directly with teams who need that combination and don’t want to wait six months for an agency to deliver a deck about it.

How I Work

Empathy first

Every decision should trace back to the person who has to live with it — the user, the customer, the employee on the other end of the process. I never stop asking who this is really for.

Honesty over comfort

You don’t hire me to tell you what you want to hear. You hire me to tell you what’s true — with enough context that you can make a good decision. That’s the deal.

Make it real

Strategy without execution is just conversation. I care about shipping things — finished, working things that people actually use and that move the needle on something that matters.

Experience

Where I’ve done the work.

Apr 2014 – Nov 2025

UnitedHealth Group / Optum

Held progressive leadership roles — Senior Manager through VP, Product & Design

Held progressive digital product and experience leadership roles across Optum and RVO Health, spanning enterprise experience strategy, digital product, human-centered design, service design, and UX. Built and led cross-functional teams, scaled consumer-first solutions, and delivered measurable enterprise growth.

  • Led the launch and multi-disciplinary product and design team behind Optum Store, driving $100M+ in sales — a direct-to-consumer platform offering HSA/FSA-eligible products, virtual care, and a low-cost cash pharmacy that beat competitor pricing 70%+ of the time.
  • Directed consumer-centered product strategy, guiding teams in generative research, ethnography, JTBD, concept validation, and usability testing to shape roadmaps, de-risk decisions, and refine end-to-end experiences.
  • Built and led a shared-service human-centered design organization delivering enterprise-wide service design across digital, telephonic, and in-person channels — recognized for industry-leading best practices and operational excellence.
  • Championed modern, pragmatic design practices, enabling teams to rapidly progress from low-fi concepts to high-fi prototypes, adopt modern design systems, and partner closely with engineering to accelerate innovation and delivery.
  • Introduced and scaled interactive journey mapping, embedding consumer and frontline audio/video into immersive artifacts that strengthened alignment and improved cross-business experience execution.
  • Oversaw cross-functional design and research teams driving product transformation across Optum and UnitedHealthcare through service blueprinting, capability mapping, and systems thinking.
  • Established enterprise-wide capability mapping and strategic frameworks, enabling executives, CEOs, and boards to connect product capabilities to tangible value drivers — revenue, cost reduction, satisfaction — and supporting major employer, provider, and government wins.
  • Partnered with leading agencies and consultancies — including Huge, AKQA, Lippincott, EY, McKinsey, and Oliver Wyman — to elevate design quality, accelerate innovation, and strengthen enterprise strategy.

Sep 2005 – Apr 2014

Target Corporation

Senior Information Architect → Senior Manager, Product Design

Held multiple roles across digital product, design, and merchandising — progressing from Senior Information Architect to Senior Manager, Product Design. Focused on delivering scalable digital solutions that enhanced customer experience, improved operational efficiency, and drove business growth.

  • Redesigned Target’s gift registry experience, resulting in a 150% increase in average ratings and a 50% reduction in in-store paper usage during the kiosk era.
  • Led digital initiatives that improved conversion and basket size, including the product review and recommendation platforms, subscribe-and-save functionality, and content standards for product imagery and video.
  • Issued three design patents related to gift registries, personalization, and integrating social media to deepen consumer engagement.
  • Led the product team through the migration of Target.com off the Amazon platform, working with agency partners Huge and Publicis Sapient to accelerate innovation and elevate execution.
  • Developed a scalable onboarding model for digital agencies, piloted with AKQA and later expanded to other Tier 1 partners — accelerating time-to-value across key initiatives.

Sep 2004 – Sep 2005

US Bank

Information Architect

Supported digital transformation by designing intuitive, user-centered web and kiosk experiences across consumer and employee channels. Played a foundational role in structuring content and navigation for complex banking tools.

  • Conducted research to understand user behaviors, needs, and pain points across consumer and employee banking workflows.
  • Developed wireframes, site maps, and navigation systems for websites, ATM interfaces, and employee tools.
  • Developed clear taxonomies, labeling systems, and meta data frameworks that enhanced usability and findability.
  • Worked closely with UI designers and front-end developers to ensure that the design and functionality met user needs.

Early Career

2000–2004

Internet Exposure

Account Manager

Oct 2002 – Sep 2004

  • Transitioned clients from Active Logic to Internet Exposure when leadership team pivoted from offering custom web development.
  • Developed and maintained all aspects of client relationships.
  • Facilitated requirements gathering sessions with stakeholders.
  • Documented requirements and specifications that included user flows, wireframes, and site maps.
  • Worked with UI designers and engineering team to ensure the experiences we delivered aligned to documented requirements.

Active Logic Corporation

Account Manager

Apr 2000 – Oct 2002

  • Developed and maintained all aspects of client relationships.
  • Facilitated requirements gathering sessions with stakeholders.
  • Documented requirements and specifications that included user flows, wireframes, and site maps.
  • Worked with UI designers and engineering team to ensure the experiences we delivered aligned to the documented requirements and specifications.

Let’s Connect

Want to know if
we’re a good fit?

The first conversation is always free and low-pressure. Tell me what you’re working on — even if you’re not sure what you need yet.

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