For the next spotlight in our Women in Product Management series, Nicole Tieche sat down with Orly Stern—recently promoted General Manager of Business Applications at Payoneer and former VP of Product Management. Discussing product leadership and challenges, Orly shares her unconventional path into product, the lessons she learned turning around a failed product, and how she builds high-performing teams in global tech companies.
How Orly Got Her Start in Product
Nicole: Welcome, Orly. Let’s start with how you got into product management.
Orly: Fifteen years ago, I worked in the technology division of the biggest bank in Israel. I started in data and moved to development, but I felt like something was missing. I needed more action. I was young and bold and reached out to one of the executives leading the most innovative areas. I told him I wanted to learn from him. He asked if I knew what product management was. I said no, but I’ll learn. That conversation changed my life—I started in a leadership role, managing all the digital products in the bank and leading a group of product managers. That was a critical turning point in my career.
Product Leadership Through Challenges
Nicole: That was incredibly bold—and it really paid off. Can you share a product management challenge you’ve overcome?
Orly: The toughest was taking ownership of a high-stakes product that had failed multiple times. The team was exhausted from trying to fix it. What worked for me was setting a clear direction and being upfront about what we could and couldn’t achieve. I made sure to collect lessons from the past, involve the right stakeholders from the beginning, and work in small increments to prove we were moving in the right direction. Most importantly, I had to believe in myself and in the journey I was leading with the team.
Why Global Product Work Is Worth the Challenge
Nicole: You’ve worked across different companies and cultures. What do you love about working with global teams?
Orly: I fell in love with the complexity. Within a global organization, you deal with different behaviors, cultures, and languages. Building trust and strong relationships in that environment is a challenge—but it’s also what makes the work so rewarding. You also serve customers around the world, which means different needs and expectations. Recently, I visited China and saw how our users there interacted with our products—it was completely different from what we see in Europe or Latam. Sometimes localization is just content, but often it’s functionality or integrations. That changes how we think about product.
What It Really Takes to Build Strong Product Teams
Nicole: Let’s talk about your passion for teams. What does it take to build strong product teams?
Orly: Leadership starts and ends with people. It’s not just about hiring individuals—it’s about building a team with the right DNA. You want diverse skills and perspectives, but people who can work together toward something meaningful. Feedback is critical. It’s a gift, and it should be ongoing—not just once or twice a year. It helps people focus on their strengths and work on what they need to improve. And leaders have to lead by example. You can’t just say what to do—you have to roll up your sleeves and do the work alongside your team.
What She Looks For in a Product Manager
Nicole: What soft skills do you look for when building a team?
Orly: Energy. It tells me how they’ll engage stakeholders and get people excited about their vision. I also listen to what they choose to talk about. Do they mention customer needs? If they only focus on the company or the tech, that’s a red flag. You have to be passionate about customers and solving their pain points. I also look for focus—can they cut through the noise and prioritize what matters?
Advice for Women in Product Management
Nicole: What advice do you have for other women considering a career in product management?
Orly: Be confident. Take a seat at the table. And don’t skip the foundational work. I started as a leader in product management, but I eventually took a step back into an individual contributor role so I could sharpen my skills. When I returned to product leadership, I was stronger and more valuable to my team. Take time to learn the profession. It’s a wide field—products vary by type, by market, by tech. Work with different teams and managers to build a well-rounded view of what product management really is.
Why She Still Believes Product Is the Best Job in the World
Nicole: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Orly: Product management is the best profession ever. You get to work at the intersection of customers, strategy, business, technology, and operations. It’s hard—but it’s also exciting. You have the ability to bring ideas to life and shape how they reach people. It’s a journey—and I love every part of it.
Want to strengthen cross-functional collaboration on your team?
If Orly’s story resonated with you—especially her emphasis on building trust, aligning around a shared vision, and clear product leadership—you might find our Product Management Collaboration for Stakeholders workshop valuable.
It’s a hands-on session designed to help product teams and their stakeholders work better together, clarify roles, and reduce friction across the product lifecycle.