Han Byul Ru is a design leader with expertise in leading global design & research teams, shaping AI-forward product strategy, and guiding organizations through change.
After 15 formative years in New York City, she lives in Lake Oswego, OR with her family.
HIGHLIGHTS
13 years of experience in design, product, strategy, and research at high-growth tech organizations across Marketing, Real Estate, Finance, and HR
10 of those years in management/leadership, partnering with executives and board members to shape strategic direction
Raised the bar for design in every stage of company; sought after as “leader I want to work with again”
Track record of commercializing products powered by big data, generative AI, and machine learning
EXPERIENCE
Design Advisor & Fractional Head of Design
2025 - Present
Advising high-growth companies on positioning, product strategy, hiring, and end-to-end product experience
Global Head of User Experience, Altus Group
2021-2025
Set the North Star vision for the new Platform and articulating a 5-year roadmap journey, uniting the 2,500+ employees across the world
Shaped a customer-centered innovation culture within the Technology organization through market research, concept developments, and early validation of signals
Developed and mobilized the multi-year commercial roadmap of a $128M revenue stream annually with new-to-industry predictive analytics and benchmarking capabilities for investment managers in commercial real estate
Director of User Experience, Reonomy
2019-2021 | Acquired by Altus Group (TSX: AIF) in 2021
Built and grew the user experience function by 40% YoY while leading a user-focused company transformation
Secured predictability in annual revenue by customer segment and nearly a 50% improvement in client retention
Assisted in the $250M sale to Altus Group (TSX: AIF), a global company with deep roots in commercial real estate
Senior Manager, User Experience, Yext
2015 - 2019 | IPO (NYSE: YEXT) in 2017
Led and scaled the product design / user experience organization during Yext’s hyper-growth stage, going from a 200-people New York based startup to globally-distributed 2,000+ people public company
Oversaw the 0-to-1 launch of 5+ new product lines and verticalization of Yext solutions into Healthcare, Financial Advisory, Retail, and Hospitality sectors
Lead Designer & Strategist, Berman Group
2013-2015
Spearheaded client initiatives involving web and mobile experience revamps, oversaw the creative direction and process from design through development, testing, and launch
Established the firm’s brand strategy offerings, expanding its client footprint across Technology, Fashion, Education, Lifestyle, Real Estate, Law, and non-profit, and ranking in the New York Observer’s 50 PR Firms List
IMPACT ACROSS INDUSTRIES
