American Dental Care Partners, Inc.

Owner & CEO

RZ Strategies LLC

Leveraging 7 years of experience at Uber to help your business grow quickly and efficiently.

My clients include early stage startups (Seed, Series A/B), where I use my early Uber experience and expertise to help companies quickly identify and solve operational bottlenecks which may be limiting growth. At slightly more mature startup stages, I also frequently leverage my experience working across Ops/Tech/Leadership teams to develop product strategy and help cross functional teams move forward together. 

I also work with PE-backed companies and larger, more mature public companies to evaluate their current operations and marketplace efficiency, and develop strategies and experiments which will help them continue to grow. 

Example projects:
 - Building a marketplace health framework for an established internet media company
 - Creating a supply growth and onboarding efficiency strategy for a new marketplace business
 - Runnning the customer success function for a new product launch
 - Leading strategy development sessions, including goal setting, KPI development, and prioritization

Independent Consultant

Uber

Led team responsible for managing the Rides business in AL, AR, FL, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, OK, and TX. Increased regional profitability by developing new product offerings and strategies to accelerate top line growth (premium products, add-ons, pricing strategies), while continuously identifying cost reduction opportunities and acting to address them.

Senior Manager, Head of Gulf Coast Rides

Designed, built, and launched Uber's driver loyalty program, Uber Pro, improving retention and platform efficiency via effective segmentation and meaningful rewards, including free college tuition programs. Designed and executed additional programs to develop deeper relationships with key driver segments and solicit impactful product and program feedback from drivers.

Manager, Driver Loyalty & Relationship

Designed, managed, and executed Uber’s internal process to bring to life a "180 Days of Change" campaign, delivering 38 new driver-facing features and improvements including in-app tipping, paid wait time, and 24/7 phone support.

US & Canada Product Operations & Strategy

Drove sustained, rapid growth in the DC market, managing as many as 20 direct reports. Launched and refined uberPOOL in Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Built the POOL pricing model, led product testing, and developed playbook to continue scaling POOL to additional markets.

Senior Operations & Logistics Manager

5th Operations hire in Uber’s 6th US market. Launched and scaled uberX in Washington DC.

Operations & Logistics Manager

Ernst & Young

Provided audit and advisory services for clients including Fortune 500 government contracting and energy clients as well as mid-sized public and private contractors, manufacturers, and private equity firms.

Assurance Staff

I am the owner, President, and CEO of American Dental Care Partners, Inc., a discount health care program selling plans that provide members with discounts for health care services from participating physicians and providers.

I also provide independent consulting services to companies, working with early-stage startups on growth strategies, scaling operations, and building marketplace platforms. My expertise in these areas was honed over 7 exciting years in various strategy and operations roles at Uber, and in a short stint in public accounting at EY early in my career.

My professional interests include tech, start-ups, marketplace businesses, small business, and entrepreneurship through acquisition. I'm always happy to chat with folks interested in any of these topics, feel free to reach out!

Zach Smith

Jampack

-Among first 10 tech hires at a seed stage travel startup.
-Delivered $XXM incremental revenue through development of dynamic pricing systems and marketplace supply optimization.
-Drove XX% operational efficiencies through automated content management systems.
-Led development of ticketing integrations, hotel booking platform, financing & layaway plans, and data platforms.
-Spearheaded partnerships and business development initiatives with ticketing and hotel partners.

Jampack helps event creators and producers turn their events into multi-day experiences, seamlessly packaging their event tickets with hotel stays, experiences, and upgrades. Now supporting music festivals, conferences & trade shows, sports, concerts, and more!

Principal Product Manager

Snowflake

-Early member of Snowflake's Marketplace Operations Team.
-Enabled XX% growth in buyer-seller relationships through the data and application marketplace.
-Led client enablement projects to accelerate sharing across cloud regions and providers and to monetize new applications.
-Created day-to-day processes and policies for application quality review and dispute resolution.
-Developed go-to-market materials and led product/sales demos to introduce new marketplace features to data engineering teams at Fortune 500 companies.

Major provider and consumer experience features included: Snowflake's Provider Studio, Cross-Region Replication & Fulfillment, Native Applications, Paid & Privately Shared Listings, and Consumer Evaluation/Trials of Marketplace Datasets/Services.

Senior Marketplace Operations Manager

-Led 10-member strategy team reporting directly to the CEO and CTO.
-Facilitated org-wide strategy and planning for a 5000-member technology organization (bridging Product, Engineering, Data Science, Design, and Program Management).
-Developed and tracked company-wide OKRs and KPIs to support accountability and performance management.
-Coordinated org-wide initiatives including product quality, internal compliance, headcount management and allocation, and organizational business operations.
-Partnered with product and engineering leaders in chief of staff roles to support short-term and long-term product strategies and plans.

Head of Tech Strategy

-Led Uber’s efforts to build its first global marketplace risk program, dedicated to measuring and managing wasted spend on users gaming or abusing our marketing promotions.
-Developed metrics and countermeasures for user acquisition fraud, trip gaming, fake/duplication account creation, fare inflation, unattempted pickups, and collections risk.
-Built a 10-member analytics team that defined metrics and novel measurement tactics, deployed new risk rules and models, worked cross-functionally across product and operations teams, designed customer support processes, and product rollout plans.
-Created a comprehensive system of policies, actioning systems, rules, models, and workflows to enable a 90% reduction in incentive fraud losses.
-Consolidated disparate processes and enforcement into Uber's first global partner/merchant fraud and abuse policy.
-Implemented techniques for mitigating fraud risks of new products such as Instant Pay, Earnings Boost, Upfront Pricing, Request for a Friend, Guaranteed Earnings, and Tipping while successfully ensuring that financial losses did not exceed budgeted levels.
-Patented novel techniques for detecting GPS spoofing using a marketplace application.
-Delivered product requirements/analyses, rollout strategies, and support resources for major risk management products (Two-Factor Authentication, Bank Account Verification, Trip/Account/Payment Anomaly Detection, App Tampering Prevention).
-Coordinated anti-fraud efforts across local teams in China/India as primary conduit between corporate leadership, operations, product, engineering, data science, legal, security, and business development teams. Day-to-day execution enabled 95% reduction in fraud/chargebacks.
-Managed transition of anti-fraud responsibilities and data from Uber China to Didi Chuxing as part of national merger in late 2016.

Manager II, Marketplace & Cash Risk

-Enabled day-to-day engagement and growth of cities like Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Orlando, Sarasota, Naples, and Fort Myers.
-Analyzed and A/B tested targeted driver-partner communications and recruitment strategies. Increased the likelihood of individuals signing up with Uber to become an active driver-partner by over 40% in Florida cities.
-Developed processes, framework, and escalation model across Eastern region for identifying and reducing fraudulent charges on the Uber app. Delivered 20% improvement in individual markets' fraud losses.
-Executed multiple on-demand promotions including Uber Ice Cream and Tacos on Demand as project manager, coordinating app configuration and sponsor discussions for reliable, efficient deliveries.
-Generated proposals, including budget and pilot / implementation plans for new public-private partnerships in Pinellas County.
-Coordinated efforts to engage Tampa Bay driver-partner community members and increase awareness of local regulatory changes and proposals that could negatively impact their business.

Operations and Logistics Manager

Deloitte

-Automated a client's workforce analysis and reporting processes using SQL Server and VBA to save 20+ weekly man hours of manual data manipulation and to support tripling of team's reporting capacity.
-Facilitated creation and implementation of an HR department's service delivery strategic plan, including identification of metrics and key performance indicators to help measure department effectiveness.
-Conducted trend analysis and created visualizations using a large organization's workforce data and Oracle PeopleSoft database to inform leadership decision-making on strategic hiring and recruitment, succession planning, retirement incentives, global deployment, and diversity programs.
-Documented requirements for and developed web-based workforce management dashboard to enable a client to successfully measure performance against hiring targets while automating approval processes.
-Conducted client interviews to document and deliver end-to-end process maps to help standardize a financial management division's budgeting, procurement, payment, and accounting practices.
-Led internal 15-member team in coordination of communications, events, logistics, training, and mentors for the onboarding of 100+ new hires.

Strategy & Operations Consultant

Cornell University

Web Development: Developed PHP-based web application to support the creation of standardized course syllabi and reporting of course objectives and skills within the Department of Policy Analysis & Management.

Process Improvement: Saved department faculty approximately 20+ hours per semester by pulling information from previous syllabi and automatically updating dates. Saved department staff approximately 20+ hours per semester by replacing a manual course objective compilation process with automated reports.

Web Developer

WVBR 93.5 FM

General Manager, April 2011-2012
IT Director, April 2010-2011
Web Director, April 2009-2010

Leadership and Project Management: Led 7-member executive team and 50-person volunteer staff in overseeing personnel, management, and business operations for a community-focused 3000-watt commercial radio station.

Alumni Relations and Marketing/Branding: Established alumni relations roles for the organization and built framework for identification of and outreach to over 1000 station alumni. Identification and engagement of these alumni positioned the station to launch a $935,000 capital campaign in Fall 2012.

Mobile App Strategy: Coordinated launches of new digital platforms for the organization, including iOS and Android applications and a student-focused online radio station, to expand the station's audience, to provide tools applicable to modern technology, and to create new student training opportunities.

Web Development: Redeveloped the station's website by creating a custom CMS and revamped front-end template in order to refresh the organization's online branding/image, add new monetization opportunities, and improve content editing/management processes for staff.

General Manager

NASA

Process Improvement: Streamlined department's access to project data for 20 science missions by developing and implementing wiki-based knowledge management system.

Data Visualization: Developed Excel VBA tools and visualizations to help the Chief Financial Officer better understand and make decisions on allocation of a $17 billion budget and management of $5 million in unfunded future expenditures.

Strategic Investments/Planning & Performance Team

Computer & Communications Industry Association

Policy Research: Created memos and briefings for Association leadership on various policy research issues in direct support of Association white papers/public comments and meetings with U.S. and European policymakers.

Key issues included cloud security, net neutrality, rural broadband expansion, and international patent law.

Policy Research Team

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Digital Marketing and Metrics: Collected and organized data for weekly fundraising reports to track and assess impact of email marketing campaigns across 9 different marketing segments.

Social Media Strategy: Proposed and launched Twitter outreach strategy to double audience from 300 to 600 followers. Continuation of this strategy after the internship ended allowed the committee to reach over 1000 followers within a few months and over 120,000 followers five years later.

Online Communications Team

I help organizations build highly scalable decision engines and data-driven teams.

Currently building realtime supply, pricing, and inventory at Jampack.

15+ years of experience with product management, analytics leadership, general management, global hypergrowth, and fraud/risk mitigation.

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Zach Smith

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