Katrina Phiri

Background

Job Description

As a Senior Product Manager and Business Strategy Leader, I help Amazon builders accelerate their time to market, lower costs, and improve security and operational excellence by harnessing the power of Salesforce. My tech team is a dedicated center of excellence, providing Salesforce expertise and managed services to help Amazonians maximize the value of Salesforce to achieve their business goals.

Company Description

Since launching in 2006, Amazon Web Services has been providing world-leading cloud technologies that help any organization and any individual build solutions to transform industries, communities, and lives for the better. As part of Amazon, we strive to be Earth's most customer-centric company. We work backwards from our customers' problems to provide them with cloud infrastructure that meets their needs, so they can reinvent continuously and push through barriers of what people thought was possible.

Employment History

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Sr. Product Manager & Business Strategy Leader, SFSC | 2023 - Present (Seattle, WA)

Amazon; Sr. Product Manager, Global Risk Management & Claims Technology | 2019 - 2023 (Seattle, WA)

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC); Sr. Associate Consultant, Cybersecurity & Privacy | 2017 - 2019 (Seattle, WA)

Seattle University; Full-time Graduate Student (MBA) & Genevieve Albers Graduate Fellow | 2015 - 2017 (Seattle, WA)

IQ Business, South Africa; Sr. Associate Consultant, Regulatory, Analytics & Sustainability Division | 2012 - 2015 (Johannesburg, SA)

Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program; English Language Teacher | 2008 - 2011 (Matsuyama City, Japan)

Education

PMP Certification (Project Management Professional) | 2020

Professional MBA and Certificate in Business Analytics, Seattle University, USA | 2017

PRINCE2 Foundation Certificate (Project Management), South Africa | 2012

Bachelor of Business Science (B.Bus.Sci), Finance Specialization (Honors), University of Cape Town, South Africa | 2007

No civic involvement entered

Mentoring Objectives & Scope

Mentees can expect:

1) career coaching, resume review, and personal branding guidance;
2) interview prep, including mock interview practice;
3) insights on working in tech or transitioning into tech with a non-traditional background; and
4) discussion of any other topics that are top of mind.

I expect mentees to:
1) come prepared with what you'd like to discuss in each session;
2) take the lead in driving this experience as it is up to you to make it a success based on your stated goals and desired outcomes; and
3) be respectful of each other's time and communicate any schedule changes in advance (as will I).

When and where do you hold meetings with your students?

100% virtual. Mentees will be invited to the Amazon campus (South Lake Union) for occasional in-person meetings.

Additional Information

From her time as a graduate student, Katrina continues to be an active member of the Seattle U community, including participation as a member of SU's Albers Marketing Department Advisory Board (2022 - 2025). In addition to being an SU Albers Mentor, Katrina also leads the SU at Amazon Affinity Group for employees (2024 - Present).

As a graduate student, Katrina participated in student government, volunteer organizations, and served as an active leader on campus. Leadership roles and awards include:

President (2019 - 2020) and VP (2017 - 2019) of the SU International Student Alumni Board;

President of the Albers Graduate Student Association (2016 - 2017);

Deans Honor List (2015 - 2017);

Winner of the Genevieve Albers Graduate Fellowship (2016 - 2017);

Winner of the Albers Graduate Student Association Leadership Award (2017);

Winner of the SU Outstanding International Graduate Student Award (2017);

Winner of the Albers Graduate Student Service Award (2016);

Inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma (international academic honor society for business schools, 2017);

Inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu (national Jesuit honor society, top 4% of each class eligible, 2017).