Robbie Knutson-Ratto

SVP Product

Updater · San Francisco Bay Area

Dec 2025 – Present(5 mos)

Product Executive Consultant / Fractional CPO

Five Experts · San Francisco Bay Area

Sep 2025 – Present(8 mos)

Executive Product Partner (Fractional CPO + Startup Lead)

Stealth Start-up · San Francisco Bay Area

May 2025 – Dec 2025(8 mos)

• Spearheading product strategy and roadmap for a pre-seed SaaS and marketplace startup, focusing on a 0→1 mobile app (B2C) and web platform (B2B). • Leading full stack product development, from feature definition to vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with market needs. • Conducting product demos and providing onboarding support, enhancing user experience and engagement. • Supporting product currently in beta Using AI tools for competitive analysis, requirements, prototyping, script writing and avatar demos, knowledge base

Chief Product Officer

Raydiant - Experience Platform · San Francisco Bay Area

Jan 2022 – Mar 2025(3 yrs 3 mos)

Reimagining how brick-and-mortar businesses engage customers and employees through a digital experience platform powered by AI, computer vision, and dynamic content management. I lead the product org across QSR, retail media, and hospitality - building scalable systems, unifying acquisitions, and delivering measurable business outcomes. As a CPO, I’m focused on marrying product vision with execution to accelerate growth, drive innovation, and deepen customer value. From platform consolidation to POS abstraction and programmatic ad tech, our work helps brands thrive in hybrid physical-digital environments. Key Achievements: - Unified three acquired product lines into a modular platform - cut hardware costs by 35% and doubled roadmap velocity. - Built an API abstraction layer that accelerated partner/POS integrations by 30%. - Introduced a new design system - boosted UX consistency and dev efficiency by 40%. - Rebuilt product/design org and implemented an OKR alignment model to drive execution speed and cross-functional clarity.

SVP Product

Appetize (Acquired by SpotOn) · Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

Sep 2019 – Dec 2021(2 yrs 4 mos)

Led product strategy and execution for an enterprise-grade POS and venue commerce platform used by 50%+ of U.S. sports stadiums and major entertainment venues, including Disney. Drove a company-wide pivot to mobile and contactless ordering to address post-COVID shifts in consumer behavior and operational needs. - Delivered key mobile commerce experiences that redefined digital engagement in live venues, accelerating recovery for sports and entertainment clients. - Scaled a high-performance product team; introduced a Product Council to improve cross-functional transparency and execution velocity. - Supported GTM alignment across sales, customer success, and marketing to drive adoption of new platform capabilities. - Contributed directly to positioning Appetize as a strategic leader in enterprise POS and the resulting $415M acquisition by SpotOn.

Global VP Product/GM - Business Adjacent Products

Xero · San Francisco Bay Area

Jan 2019 – Oct 2019(10 mos)

Led global strategy for a portfolio of products adjacent to Xero’s core accounting suite—including Expenses, Projects, Inventory, POs, and Contacts. Tasked with carving out and scaling these offerings to open new revenue streams and market opportunities. - Defined portfolio strategy and investment prioritization, aligning product roadmaps with international market demands. - Conducted build/buy/partner analysis to identify areas for acceleration and differentiation. - Reallocated team and capital toward highest-performing segments based on market signals and product traction. - Partnered with global execs to support UK and US Payroll during a leadership transition - maintaining momentum while ensuring continuity. - Exited role following Xero’s consolidation of its San Francisco development center to New Zealand & Canada.

Global VP Product/GM - People Portfolio

Xero · San Francisco Bay Area

Jul 2017 – Mar 2019(1 yr 9 mos)

Xero uses AI and ML to handle daily tasks freeing up SMBs and Accountants & Bookkeepers to focus on growing their businesses. Owned global product, engineering, and compliance for Xero’s People Portfolio—Payroll, Expenses, and Mobile—spanning teams of 90+ across three countries. Drove product-led growth, international expansion, and operational scale. - Launched Xero Expenses from scratch, secured 10K signups in the first 90 days and beat revenue targets by 30% using PLG tactics. - Transitioned US Payroll to a partner-led model, reduced operational risk while preserving team focus and revenue continuity. - Established global product governance, enhancing roadmap transparency and cross-region execution.

Executive Product Consultant

Software Product Consulting · San Francisco Bay Area

Dec 2014 – Dec 2017(3 yrs 1 mo)

Provided product leadership as both an operator and advisor, helping early and growth-stage companies reshape product strategies, scale platforms, and win strategic customers. Engagements spanned vertical SaaS, payments, SMB software, and consumer applications.

Head of Product

Lavu Inc. · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Aug 2016 – Jul 2017(1 yr)

Brought strategic clarity to a fast-moving global POS company serving restaurants in 80+ countries. Refocused the product roadmap to strengthen differentiation, support international growth, and improve operational scalability. - Localized platform for global expansion; enabled deployment in multiple markets through currency, tax, and compliance adaptation. - Drove pilot engagement with AB InBev across five countries, delivering early adoption insights and positioning Lavu for deeper enterprise expansion.

Vice President of Product Management

Revel Systems iPad POS · San Francisco Bay Area

Apr 2015 – Feb 2016(11 mos)

Led enterprise product strategy during a phase of rapid scale and international growth. Focused on expanding vertical capabilities and strengthening the core platform’s extensibility. - Developed and launched a new retail vertical in partnership with Shell Oil, targeting deployment across 30 countries. - Built out Revel’s API and integration framework to enable third-party solutions across payments, loyalty, and accounting. - Drove regulatory compliance efforts across multiple regions, ensuring readiness for large-scale enterprise deployments.

Director, Technical Product Management and Product Marketing

OpenEdge (formerly PayPros) · Newark, CA

Dec 2011 – Dec 2014(3 yrs 1 mo)

Led end-to-end product transformation for a B2B payments company through its acquisition by Global Payments. Focused on modernizing platform capabilities and accelerating merchant adoption. - Launched a next-gen payments platform, contributing to 20%+ YoY revenue growth for two consecutive years. - Successfully migrated 45,000+ merchants with zero major service interruptions—de-risking the company’s modernization strategy. - Contributed to international gateway strategy post acquisition.

Director of Product Management

SugarCRM · Cupertino, CA

Sep 2010 – Jun 2011(10 mos)

Led product strategy for SugarCRM’s social collaboration features, targeting SMBs with enhanced usability, mobility, and engagement. Focused on modernizing the product to increase adoption and expand market reach. - Defined and delivered roadmap for new social CRM capabilities across web and mobile platforms. - Rolled out accessibility improvements and achieved 508 Compliance, opening opportunities in education, nonprofit, and public sector SMBs. - Introduced structured product development practices, improving alignment between product, engineering, and UX teams.

Product Management Consulting

Independent Consultant · San Francisco Bay Area

Nov 2009 – Sep 2010(11 mos)

Advised early-stage startups on product strategy, planning, and go-to-market execution. Helped shape scalable product processes, pricing models, and competitive positioning to support rapid growth and market entry.

Vice President, Product Management

CA Technologies · Redwood City, CA

2005 – Oct 2009(4 yrs 10 mos)

Owned global product strategy for Clarity PPM, one of CA’s flagship enterprise platforms used by Fortune 500 IT orgs and government agencies. Directed cross-functional teams spanning product, design, PMO, and localization. - Delivered roadmap that increased enterprise adoption and retention across both SaaS and on-premise offerings. - Partnered closely with sales and services to shape GTM and expand Clarity’s market presence post-acquisition. - Drove platform enhancements that improved configurability, reporting, and user experience for large-scale deployments.