David Dwight is this year’s Product Management Practice Director in Residence, working with Matt Cone, our Customer Experience & Marketing Practice Director. David joined the University of Wisconsin nearly three years ago as Director of the Operations and Technology Management Knowledge Center within the Wisconsin School of Business. Through this role, he became closely connected with UWEBC and its mission of helping organizations grow through innovation and digital transformation.
Before entering academia, David spent more than 30 years in industry, leading customer-focused and product management initiatives across a variety of organizations. His experience fueled a passion for advancing product management as a formal discipline, leading him to collaborate with UWEBC as a Practice Director in Residence, where he helps bridge academic insight and industry practice.
“The product manager has to live with a foot in three different worlds.”
David Dwight
What makes the UWEBC community different from other groups you’ve worked with?
One of the aspects David appreciates most about UWEBC is its diverse membership. Unlike his experience in private industry, where his focus was on a single company’s needs, UWEBC offers the opportunity to engage with organizations across a wide range of industries and perspectives. Whether members approach challenges through marketing, operations, or strategy, the community encourages sharing ideas and best practices that can be adapted to different business environments, creating opportunities to focus on broader industry needs and to learn from one another.
What is changing most rapidly in the field of product management?
According to David, product-focused practices are expanding beyond traditional software and technology companies into industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer products, while emerging technologies like AI are transforming how teams collaborate. At the same time, he sees product leaders taking on a more strategic role, guiding decisions on growth, market positioning, customer value, and competitive strategy while serving as a critical link between business objectives and customer needs.
What is one common misconception about product management?
One of the most common misconceptions David encounters is the belief that companies do not need a dedicated product organization. He describes product managers as leaders without formal authority who must rely on influence, analysis, and collaboration while balancing customer needs, operational and technological feasibility, and business strategy. Because product managers work across many areas of the business, he believes they are most effective when they have a dedicated place within the organization alongside other company teams.
What can UWEBC members expect from you this year?
Looking ahead, David plans to continue helping members connect academic thinking with real-world business applications while promoting greater rigor around the field. This fall, he is particularly interested in exploring how organizations can structure teams and responsibilities to support long-term success, while also encouraging greater consistency in the language used across the field so organizations can more easily recognize and apply common principles regardless of industry.
What does product management mean to you?
For David, product management ultimately comes down to advocacy and leadership. He believes organizations have historically focused on functions such as sales, marketing, operations, engineering, and finance, often leaving the product itself without a dedicated “champion.” Product managers fill that gap by serving as the voice of the product, balancing the perspectives of customers, teams, and business stakeholders, and bringing those viewpoints together to help organizations make better decisions and deliver greater value.