Product All-Star: 5 questions with Peter Bongiorno

Building products is an adventure. That is what makes it the best job in the world. But this role is not for everyone — true product success requires decisive action, continuous effort, and the relentless pursuit of value.

We have the honor of being connected to companies and product experts who go boldly and bravely. And we are asking folks to share their knowledge with you in the hopes it will inspire you in your own product career.

Peter Bongiorno is the senior director of product portfolio management at NICE Actimize, which specializes in solutions to fight financial crime, including anti-money laundering, fraud detection, and market compliance. Based remotely in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, he manages portfolio strategy across multiple business areas and aligns roadmaps and strategic planning. He also leads NICE Actimize's Product Center of Excellence, where he establishes best practices to help teams work more effectively from idea to delivery.

Outside of work, Peter is a licensed pilot who loves to fly around the cape and the islands (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket) in Massachusetts. He draws parallels between aviation and product management — both require assessing changing conditions, making quick decisions, and adjusting plans to stay on course.

Keep reading for Peter's thoughts on all things product development:

What was your first product role?

I started my career in engineering, spending five years in technical roles. Over time, I became more interested in the broader business challenges behind the products we were building. That curiosity led me toward product management — though I did not immediately recognize it as a formal discipline.

My first official product role was at RR Donnelley, where I led a product and R&D team developing document management and publishing solutions for financial services firms. At the time, these firms relied on manual, time-consuming processes: marking up documents by hand, faxing revisions, and waiting for proof copies. My team built a web-based product that allowed clients to create print-ready documents digitally, transforming how the industry worked. It was my first experience guiding a product from concept to completion. That early experience shaped how I approach product management today.

I learned that true innovation comes from deeply understanding the customer's workflow — not just improving existing processes, but reimagining them entirely.

Related: How do product managers work with engineers? Plus, ways to work better together

What are the most important traits for a product builder?

Great product managers are deeply curious and committed to understanding the customer's reality. Too often, people rely on secondhand research, market reports, or AI-generated insights instead of going straight to the source. But you cannot fully grasp a problem unless you experience it through the eyes of your customers.

Watching how people actually work — where they struggle and how they adapt — reveals insights you will never get from a spreadsheet.

Early in my career, I learned that the best ideas come from direct engagement. Sitting alongside customers as they navigate a complex process or observing internal teams in action leads to the most meaningful solutions.

You need to get out there. Seeing the challenges firsthand is how you move beyond incremental improvements and create something truly transformational.

How do you rally teams around a shared process or strategy?

Alignment starts with solving real problems. For example, when we introduced Aha! Roadmaps at NICE Actimize, our goal was to improve coordination and visibility across teams. Instead of rolling out a tool and expecting immediate adoption, we focused on a specific need: more effectively tracking requests that span multiple products and teams.

Related: How product managers should collaborate with business stakeholders

We launched an ideas portal to centralize these cross-team requests, making it easy to log, prioritize, and track progress. That early success created momentum. Once leaders saw the impact, they encouraged their teams to adopt it too.

Start with the pain point. If you can fix a real problem and show immediate value, adoption follows naturally.

None of this would have been possible without close collaboration. I worked alongside Arieh Stroul, a senior software engineer who was instrumental in learning Aha! Roadmaps and tackling deployment. Having a partner in the process meant we could work through challenges faster. (Thanks, Arieh!)

When people see how a new approach makes their work easier, they will not only embrace it, but champion it.

What role does mentorship play in your work today?

Product management is not always intuitive. There is no universal playbook, and universities rarely offer dedicated degree programs. Many people enter the role with a general idea of what a product manager does, but without structured learning. That is why I enjoy coaching teams on best practices, helping them think critically and focus on solving the right problems.

I lead the Product Center of Excellence at NICE Actimize, where we provide product managers with best practices and a clear framework for decision-making. But our work goes beyond defining processes — we also focus on mentorship and fostering a culture of continuous learning. With structured guidance and hands-on support, product managers gain confidence in their decisions and make a greater impact.

Related: Who cares what they think of your product plans?

What is the most exciting aspect of your current role?

After nearly 30 years in product management, I still find the work incredibly rewarding. Solving complex problems and mentoring the next generation of product managers keeps me engaged every day. I enjoy exploring new tools and methodologies to help teams work more efficiently — whether by refining best practices, integrating AI, or optimizing our use of Aha! Roadmaps.

Product management is never static. There are always fresh technologies to explore and new ways to help teams build better products.

Seeing people grow in their roles and drive real impact is especially fulfilling. That might mean improving collaboration across teams or finding smarter ways to manage priorities. In every interaction, I love helping product managers develop the skills and confidence to succeed.

Read more of the Product All-Star series.

Know an inspiring product builder? Nominate them to be featured in an upcoming post. They simply need to be doing quality work and using Aha! software.