As Manager, UX & Creative at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP), I led a cross-functional initiative to improve the digital retirement experience, reducing inbound call volume and keeping more members in the self-service channel.
As epic owner, I coordinated across UX, Communications, Insights & Data, Product, Operations, and the Contact Centre to identify enhancements that addressed member pain points throughout the retirement journey.
I refined the approach with stakeholders, ensured alignment with OTPP's digital-first strategy, and presented the business case to Lean Portfolio Management (LPM). Throughout delivery, I supported the UX team, monitored progress, cleared blockers, and presented results to senior leadership.
With only a few months before retirement season, I worked closely with product owners to define scope and coordinate delivery across teams.
#1 High application abandonment
Added a pre-application checklist so members arrive better prepared, reducing drop-off at the first step.
#2 High call volume about application status
Introduced event-driven status emails and added progress trackers to both the pension application and document uploader, reducing members' need to call for updates.
#3 Manual document reminder emails
Replaced a staff-dependent process with automated email reminders for members with outstanding document uploads.
#4 High call volume about the working-to-retirement transition
Launched an educational email journey triggered throughout the waiting period for the first pension payment, proactively addressing common questions.
40% of retiring members completed their journey entirely within the self-serve digital channel.
Because enhancements touched both front-end experience and back-end workflows, frequent communication with all Member Services teams was essential, not just at milestones, but throughout.
Owning the epic while managing the UX team required deliberate separation: staying close enough to support the team, while maintaining enough distance to keep strategic priorities in focus.
Embedding the Insights & Data team early helped us prioritize the highest-potential features and report credibly on outcomes after the retirement season.
