Hi, I'm Sonya Saunder - Vice President, Strategy, Biz Ops & Chief of Staff at Udemy
I am driven by the thrill of solving complex growth challenges and building systems that scale globally. I thrive in high-stakes, ambiguous environments where strategic rigor meets human-centered design.
At a glance
Curated signals on strengths, focus areas, and how they can help.
Served as Chief of Staff for Google Search and Assistant during rapid scaling phases.
Currently leads Strategy, BizOps, and executive-level integration at Udemy as a Vice President.
Provides high-level expertise in operational transformation, growth strategy, and analytical problem-solving for leaders.
🚀 Career trajectory
Foundation of Rigor
Built foundational analytical and financial expertise at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey.
✦ Financial Analysis
✦ Due Diligence
Platform Scaling
Led high-stakes initiatives in Search and Assistant roles during a pivotal tech era at Google.
✦ Product Operations
✦ Program Management
Executive Orchestration
Currently driving organizational strategy and BizOps for a major growth-stage consumer tech platform.
✦ Strategic Leadership
✦ Business Transformation
💪🏻 Superpowers
Architect of Scalable Systems
Engineering operational excellence in high-growth environments
✦ Standardizes complex product development lifecycles for global teams.
✦ Designs lean processes to reduce friction in cross-functional collaboration.
✦ Optimizes business models to support rapid international expansion.
Strategic Catalyst
Bridging the gap between raw data and executive decision-making
✦ Synthesizes complex data sets into actionable high-level growth strategies.
✦ Influences leadership through transparent and precise narrative building.
✦ Translates ambiguous market signals into concrete product roadmaps.
Customer Centric Visionary
Placing the end-user at the heart of technical innovation
✦ Aligns technical delivery with evolving consumer behavior patterns.
✦ Builds feedback loops that directly impact product iteration speed.
✦ Champions user-first design to drive long-term product engagement.
I'm excited about
✦ Exploring high-impact advisory opportunities with early-stage growth companies.
✦ Connecting with peer executives to exchange operational playbooks for global scaling.
✦ Discovering emerging trends in consumer tech and AI-driven business strategy.
I can help with
✦ Mentoring emerging leaders on managing complex cross-functional product organizations.
✦ Advising founders on structuring BizOps teams for sustainable operational speed.
✦ Providing strategic frameworks for international market entry and business growth.
I would love your help on
✦ Gaining fresh perspectives on navigating executive transitions in evolving tech sectors.
✦ Learning best practices from peers currently scaling AI-integrated consumer products.
✦ Connecting with experienced voices in non-profit or education-tech board governance.