Cassandra Robinson — Data & Design

About

Business strategy.
Technical depth.
Visual instinct.

I'm an analytics leader with 20+ years of experience turning messy, siloed data into trusted, decision-ready platforms. I've led teams at Ventura Foods, Apple, and beyond — always with one eye on architecture and another on how the end user actually experiences the work.

Outside the data stack, I'm drawn to UX, design systems, and the craft of communication — building mockups, design boards, and presentations that make complex ideas land clearly and beautifully.

20+

Years in data, analytics & product

700+

Active BI platform users served

Full cloud platform modernizations led

19+

FTEs & offshore talent managed

Experience

The career arc

Director, Analytics

Ventura Foods · 2023–2026

Defined multi-year roadmap; selected AWS, Snowflake, dbt, Fivetran
Architected unified data platform integrating ERP, Salesforce & ops systems
Led RFP & SI selection; scaled org to 9 FTE + 10+ offshore
Implemented intake, prioritization & SOPs with BRM/PMO

Sr. Manager, Analytics

Ventura Foods · 2022–2023

Scaled BI strategy across Sales, Finance, Supply Chain & Ops — 700+ users
Orchestrated releases through advisory and steering committees
Led platform stabilization, restoring data reliability and confidence

Manager, Analytics

Ventura Foods · 2020–2022

Led OBIEE → MicroStrategy modernization; built ~200-user Power User community
Evolved operating model and governance while managing hands-on delivery
Delivered time-critical analytics during COVID for executive decisions

Senior Business Analyst/Solution Architect

Ventura Foods · 2016–2020

Delivered enterprise Sales dashboards for commercial decision-making
Led early MicroStrategy evaluation & implementation
Became trusted analytics advisor across business units

BA & Program Manager

Apple Inc · 2007–2016

Negotiation Dashboard — supplier cost tool; 50+ users
Material Planning Automation — eliminated Excel; 100+ users
Supplier Portal — forecasting across 250+ global suppliers
Self-designed FileMaker procurement & financial reserves tools
Managed 25+ products across iOS, Watch & Mac lifecycles

Business System Analyst

Robert Half · 2005–2007

Administered Hyperion OLAP tools (Essbase, Cube Workspace)
Designed Access databases with VBA for production reporting
Data mapping for global Oracle PeopleSoft implementation

BA / Software Engineer

Hewlett Packard · 2001–2005

Designed Access DB resource tool for Supply Chain Development
Built SAP BW reporting DB for financial system merger tracking
Developed Optical Layout Design tool in Visual Basic
Built psychophysical data analysis tool in Visual C++

← scroll to explore full career →

Process & Leadership

How I make organizations work better

Operating Model Design

I've built analytics operating models from scratch — intake processes, prioritization frameworks, SOPs, and steering committee structures that give teams clarity on what to work on, in what order, and why. At Ventura Foods, this transformed an ad hoc delivery culture into a predictable, trusted function.

Delivery Governance

Good governance isn't bureaucracy — it's the scaffolding that lets teams move fast without breaking trust. I've designed and run advisory and steering committees, vendor management cadences, and release orchestration across hybrid teams spanning 9 FTE and 10+ offshore resources.

Cross-Functional Alignment

From Apple supply chain to enterprise food manufacturing, I've spent my career translating between technical teams and business stakeholders. I know how to run a room, navigate competing priorities, and build the kind of trust that makes execution possible at scale.

Platform Modernization

Led two full-cycle BI platform modernizations — OBIEE to MicroStrategy, then legacy DB2/Informatica to a modern cloud stack (Snowflake, dbt, Fivetran). Each required not just technical execution but change management, user adoption strategies, and rebuilding organizational confidence in data.

Vendor & Partner Management

Experienced in full RFP lifecycle — from requirements definition through vendor selection, contract negotiation, and ongoing SI partnership management. Built blended delivery models that balance cost, speed, and quality across internal and offshore teams.

Team Building & Coaching

Scaled analytics teams from individual contributor to director level — hiring, onboarding, and developing talent across FTE and offshore models. I believe in building teams that can operate without me in the room, because that's the real measure of leadership.

Creative Work

Design as a thinking tool

✦

UX & Wireframes

I've been doing UX work long before it had that label on my resume. At Apple, I owned wireframe planning, playback sessions, UAT, and user training across capital projects — using OmniGraffle and Keynote to communicate flows and interfaces to cross-functional teams. Today I bring that same instinct to data products: lo-fi prototyping in Lucid, PowerPoint, and Canva to align stakeholders before a line of code is written. Currently building Figma fluency to sharpen the craft further.

◈

Presentations & Decks

Executive storytelling that earns trust. I design presentations that make complex technical strategies legible to C-suite audiences — combining data clarity with visual hierarchy that guides decisions.

⬡

Design Boards & Moodboards

Visual thinking for platform vision, product north stars, and team culture. Design boards that anchor teams around a shared aesthetic and strategic direction before execution begins.

Philosophy

"The best data product is the one people come back to — not because they have to, but because it makes them feel capable."

Architecture with empathy

Great data platforms aren't just technically sound — they're designed around how people actually think and work. Governance and UX aren't opposites; they reinforce each other.

Strategy before tools

Technology choices should follow clarity about what the business actually needs. I start with the question, not the stack — and the right tools become obvious from there.

Visual clarity as leadership

How you communicate an idea shapes how it gets executed. A well-designed roadmap, mockup, or presentation is a form of leadership that accelerates alignment and reduces rework.

Where data
meets design