Michael Vath
About Michael Vath
Michael Vath is the Director of Product at ITHAKA, where he leads product strategy for the JSTOR platform, impacting millions of users globally. He has a strong background in product management and mathematics, with degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame.
Current Role at ITHAKA
Michael Vath currently serves as the Director of Product at ITHAKA, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he leads a team responsible for creating and executing product strategies for key areas of the JSTOR platform. His work impacts over 6 million users each month across more than 170 countries. He collaborates closely with the VP of Product to establish and guide the overall product strategy, ensuring that focused, actionable data is utilized to measure success.
Previous Experience at ITHAKA
Prior to his current role, Michael Vath worked at ITHAKA from 2011 to 2014 as the Director of Product Management. He also served as a Senior Product Manager from 2015 to 2020. During his tenure, he organized local product communities and conducted workshops aimed at enhancing the skills of others in product management. This experience contributed to his understanding of product development and team leadership.
Education and Expertise
Michael Vath holds a Master of Science in Mathematics from the University of Michigan, where he studied from 2002 to 2004. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame, completing his studies there from 1998 to 2002. His educational background provides a strong analytical foundation that supports his expertise in product management and strategy.
Leadership and Team Development
In his role as Director of Product, Michael Vath emphasizes empowering his team to take ownership of outcomes. He provides context, clarity, and guidance to his product managers, defining his success by the success of his team. He drives a regular cadence of product reviews to assess product strategies, metrics, and results, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with organizational goals.