For our next installment of our Women in Product Management Series, I interviewed Neha Bansal, Head of Product, Ads Manager Reporting at Meta about AI in product management and how it’s reshaping advertising.
A Journey Rooted in Curiosity and Customer Obsession
Neha Bansal’s path into product management started not in tech, but in data. Growing up in India, she pursued a degree in economics and statistics, which led her to a consulting career in analytics for financial services. But something was missing.
“I loved consulting, but I missed the joy of execution—seeing my strategies come to life.”
Determined to bridge that gap, Neha pursued an MBA at Columbia, where an internship in Tel Aviv with Weisberger, an analytics company, changed everything. She was tasked with building recommendation engines, and unlike many others, she instinctively turned to customers for insight.
That’s when she met Noam, a product leader at the company and now a VP at Slack. Noam immediately noticed something different about Neha’s approach.
“She told me, ‘You’re the only one thinking customer-first who’s not on the product team.’ She took me under her wing, and we built and shipped the model as a product.”
That hands-on experience sealed the deal—Neha knew product management was where she belonged. She returned to business school, upskilled herself, and landed a role at Google as a product manager. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Evolution of Product Leadership
Today, as the Head of Product for Ads Manager Reporting at Meta, Neha thrives at the intersection of technology, customer experience, and business impact. Three things drive her passion for product leadership:
- Driving Industry Innovation – AI is transforming user workflows, and she is shaping how advertisers leverage technology to make their jobs easier and more impactful.
- Building Strong Teams – Mentoring and growing product managers is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. Helping others find their place in the industry is something she deeply values.
- Continuous Learning – Product management forces leaders to stay ahead of the curve. Upskilling and evolving are essential to staying relevant.
Making an Impact: Ads, Small Businesses, and Economic Growth
For Neha, the impact of her work isn’t just measured in clicks and conversions—it’s measured in jobs created and businesses grown.
- While at Google, her work contributed to more than $700 billion in economic activity across American businesses, nonprofits, and content creators.
- At Meta, advertising technologies have driven more than $415 billion in economic impact, creating over 3.1 million jobs.
- More than 90 percent of businesses using her team’s products are small businesses, helping them reach new customers and grow.
“We free up time for these businesses so they can focus on what they love. That’s what excites me—helping businesses succeed.”
How AI Is Reshaping Advertising
AI isn’t just another tool in the ads industry—it is fundamentally changing how ads are created, delivered, and experienced. Neha sees two major shifts.
For Ad Viewers
- Ads are becoming non-intrusive, conversational, and personalized. AI-powered brand representatives are replacing disruptive pop-ups.
- AI can create short ads from long-form content, such as podcasts, making production faster and more efficient.
- Hyper-personalization allows AI to adjust video ads in real-time based on a user’s travel history or language preferences.
For Advertisers
- AI is accelerating ad creation, helping brands generate, test, and optimize creative assets instantly.
- Dynamic creative optimization is making ads more effective by tailoring messaging on the fly.
- AI-powered fraud detection is improving ad accuracy and ensuring budgets are spent on real engagement.
“AI is making advertising more efficient for businesses and more engaging for users. The future is all about relevance and utility.”
The Future of Product Management in an AI-Driven World
With AI changing the game, product managers need to rethink their role.
Here’s what will set product managers apart in the AI era:
- Customer-First Thinking – Understanding pain points and seamlessly embedding AI into workflows is where product managers will make the most impact.
- Data Fluency – Product managers must know how to process large data sets independently, without waiting on analysts.
- Strategic Adaptability – Traditional two- to three-year roadmaps are outdated. The best product managers will continuously iterate and evolve strategies.
- Clear, Concise Writing – AI can help with copy, but structuring a strong strategy in five pages or less remains a key skill for product managers.
Neha also encourages women in product to build domain expertise—not just generalist skills.
“Hiring is shifting toward product managers with deep experience in their space. Those who have built, failed, and learned will always have an edge.”
The Future of Product Leadership in an AI-Driven World
Neha’s journey highlights the power of customer obsession, adaptability, and strategic execution—all key traits of today’s top product leaders. Whether you’re shaping the future of AI-powered advertising, scaling a fast-growing product team, or just stepping into your first leadership role, having the right frameworks in place makes all the difference.
- Download our PM Leader First 90 Days template pack—a powerhouse toolkit with checklists, stakeholder engagement strategies, and AI-powered prompts to help you lead with clarity from day one.
- Watch our next webinar for expert guidance on refining your product strategy and building high-performing teams.
- Enroll in our AI Product Management course to master AI-driven strategy, integrate cutting-edge technology into your products, and lead with confidence in an AI-powered world.
What’s been your biggest challenge in navigating product leadership? Share your thoughts in the comments or connect with us on LinkedIn.
