Vivian Hou
About Vivian Hou
Vivian Hou serves as the Director of Product Strategy & Operations at Handshake, where she has significantly influenced the company's strategic direction and operational processes. With a background in consulting and management, she has held various roles across several organizations, including Bain & Company and Goldman Sachs.
Current Role at Handshake
Vivian Hou serves as the Director of Product Strategy & Operations at Handshake since 2023. In this role, she is responsible for establishing and managing the company's roadmapping processes and R&D operating cadence. Her leadership focuses on aligning product strategies with organizational goals to drive growth and innovation.
Previous Experience at Handshake
Vivian Hou has held multiple roles at Handshake. She worked as a Strategy Consultant for two months in 2020, where she contributed to strategic initiatives. From 2020 to 2022, she served as Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, and from 2022 to 2023, she was the Head of Skills and Learning Marketplace. During her tenure, she launched a user-generated content platform that increased weekly mobile sessions by 13.2% among the first 400,000 users.
Experience at Bain & Company
Vivian Hou worked at Bain & Company as a Manager from 2015 to 2020. During her five years there, she developed the company's Strategic Pillars for 2024, which influenced research and development roadmaps, organizational structure, and investment prioritization. She also completed an externship as an International Consultant at the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency from 2018 to 2019.
Educational Background
Vivian Hou studied at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics and International Relations from 2009 to 2013. Her education provided a foundation in economic principles and global affairs, which she has applied throughout her professional career.
Early Career and Internships
Vivian Hou began her career at Goldman Sachs, where she worked in Investment Banking from 2013 to 2015. She also completed a two-month internship as a Research Analyst at CEB in 2012. Additionally, she worked as a Consultant at the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research for two months in 2020.