Hlib.me portfolio site
Product direction, design & build · 2026 · Personal
Here's how and why I built my own portfolio using a self-hosted design system, and not using a website builder.
VP/Director, Ecommerce
London, United Kingdom
I believe exceptional ecommerce is built on countless small details, each carefully considered and optimised. It's this attention to detail in UX, operations, and technology that creates seamless customer experiences. I combine strategic commercial thinking with deep technical understanding to transform digital businesses.
I've led digital transformation programmes that delivered substantial revenue growth for luxury and retail brands. At Pandora, I directed our ecommerce evolution from 15% to 45% of total revenue through platform re-architecture, operational excellence, and conversion-focused strategy.
What sets me apart is my ability to bridge the gap between technology and commerce. I understand platform architecture, API integrations, and technical roadmaps as deeply as I understand conversion funnels, customer journeys, and P&L management. This dual capability allows me to lead cross-functional teams effectively and make decisions that are both technically sound and commercially optimal.
IT Engineer (2007–2009)
Early-career technical role at the regional central office of a global retail group, responsible for head-office IT and technical setup of new hypermarkets across the region.
Ecommerce Adviser (2010–2013)
E-commerce adviser to consumer brands and retailers across all stages, from startups entering the market to established enterprises. Engagements include platform architecture, replatforming, trading, UX, conversion rate optimisation, AI implementation, process automation, reporting, and commercial advisory.
Chief Executive Officer (2014–2018)
Invited as CEO of a newly established independent B2C e-commerce business launched by a wholesale group in HVAC and appliances. The parent group previously operated only through wholesale channels, without direct consumer relationships. Held full P&L accountability across strategy, trading, technology, operations, marketing, finance, supply chain and team build-out.
Founder | Host (2015–2020)
Founded and scaled an interactive events business, creating engaging quiz and trivia experiences that grew from intimate 20-person gatherings to sold-out 500+ participant events. Over five years, developed and hosted 120+ events, building a reputation as the leading regional quiz provider based on guest reviews.
Director of Ecommerce, Chief Digital Officer (2019–2024)
Chief Digital Officer with responsibility for ecommerce P&L (£100M+), team expansion, AI and data initiatives, omnichannel strategy and digital transformation for the world’s largest jewellery brand, operating across Eastern European and Central Asian markets. Led a cross-functional team of over 40 professionals across web development, digital marketing, analytics, content, customer experience, IT infrastructure and UX design.
Head of Ecommerce, Head of Ecommerce & Digital Marketing (2024–2026)
Joined to lead ecommerce P&L for a global luxury footwear maison on Shopify Plus, with a mandate to professionalise trading, technology, analytics and operations ahead of expansion. Expanded mandate covering ecommerce P&L, paid acquisition, CRM, retention, clienteling and omnichannel commerce on Shopify Plus. Operated globally, focusing on the UK, US and EU.
Director of Ecommerce (Fractional) (2026–present)
Director-level ecommerce partner to consumer brands and retailers across all stages, from startups entering the market to established enterprises. Engagements include platform architecture, replatforming, trading, UX, conversion rate optimisation, AI implementation, process automation, reporting, and commercial advisory.
from £2,000
Digital roadmaps, P&L ownership frameworks, KPI design, technology investment cases and team build-out plans for CEOs, founders and executive teams navigating growth or transformation.
from £2,000
Practical AI for ecommerce: predictive analytics, customer segmentation, AI-assisted content and process automation, with the reporting and data infrastructure to operationalise outputs.
from £1,500
Data-led UX/UI redesign, A/B testing programmes and front-end performance engineering to lift conversion, reduce bounce rate and improve the customer journey across all devices.
from £8,000
End-to-end migrations across Magento, Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, headless, custom build, and other platforms, including multi-vendor marketplaces. From architecture and vendor selection to launch and post-migration trading.
from £4,000
Click & Collect, multi-currency and market-specific UX, cross-border payments, tax and duty configuration, OMS layers and D2C/marketplace channel architecture for global trading.
from £2,000
A clear-eyed audit of your current team, workflows and responsibilities, redesigned to lift output without adding headcount. Operating-model and operational improvements that get more from the people and systems you already have.
from £2,000
Cost reduction through vendor renegotiation, process automation and agile delivery, without compromising output. Supplier selection, contract management and lean operating models that protect margin as you scale.
from £6,000
Hands-on director-level leadership for businesses between hires, in transition or scaling fast. Full ownership of strategy, trade and team, embedded for as long as you need senior direction in place.
from £4,000
Full-funnel acquisition across paid search, paid social, SEO and affiliate, built around unit economics rather than vanity metrics. Channel strategy, agency oversight and in-house team direction to drive profitable, scalable traffic and sustainable ROAS.
Product direction, design & build · 2026 · Personal
Here's how and why I built my own portfolio using a self-hosted design system, and not using a website builder.
2026-04-08
This is a textbook example of a service designed around the operational convenience of the business, not around actual customer behaviour.
2026-04-23
Handing ecommerce to the marketing team is one of the most persistent structural errors in companies with an online channel.
2026-06-02
Most ecommerce teams focus almost exclusively on the pre-sale journey. This is one of the most costly habits in ecommerce. The payment is not the end of the funnel, but the beginning of the customer relationship.
2026-06-08
Many retailers view the consent banner as a legal obligation, implementing it once and then ignoring it. This approach is flawed, as the banner sets the mood for first impressions, determines the amount of marketing data retained, and influences regulatory risk.
2026-06-15
TikTok Shop isn’t just something your social team is testing anymore. In the UK, it’s now a real sales channel with its own economics, and it should be managed that way.
2026-06-25
You don’t see the real cost right away. It builds up over time. Engineers call this technical debt, and it works like real debt: every shortcut adds up and comes with a price.
2026-06-29
Most online product descriptions could be switched between products without anyone realising. Read the article for tips on structuring product descriptions that drive sales.
2026-07-01
Big sales events bring in big revenue, and those numbers often get celebrated. But we should look at them more carefully. A record day built on deep discounts and smaller orders can actually lose money on many sales.
2026-07-06
The real answer is that it depends on whether the traffic is truly incremental. It can quietly waste money on clicks you would have gotten for free.
2026-07-08
The in-house versus agency debate isn't about the cost. In reality, it’s about control, and making the wrong choice can be costly in ways that don’t appear on your invoice.
2026-07-13
56% of users check the product images before even reading the title. Many galleries are arranged in the wrong order, which hurts your conversion rate unless you know what to look for.
Vlad Izotov — Business Analysis Lead | Lecturer | Mentor | PSPO II • PSM II • SAFe 6 Agilist
With this particular feedback, I want to pay tribute to Hlib and recommend him as one of the most proficient experts in building the process of online sales and insist on their rapid rise in different product companies
My feedback is based on the experience we gained together working at Pandora, where Hlib was the Chief Digital Officer. Together with him, we were part of the Product team which was taking care of the digital part of the customer journey map.
Having the role of the Product Owner in that team, Hlib was responsible for goal and vision definition. Not only was he setting up both of them but also promoted the willingness of the whole team to follow those inspirational goals and set realistic objectives and expectations.
Furthermore, being a part of Hlib’s team meant achieving meaningful goals that were based on profound discovery and problem definition. Hlib was the person who initiated all the investigations, discoveries, and opportunities searches.
Worth mentioning that Hlib invested a significant amount of effort to maximize the value delivered to the customer. Being constantly in the mood for continuous improvement and seeking feedback he was able to balance routine things with the solutions that would make the difference.
Understanding our future directions and how we can fulfill customer needs usually comes from feedback. Negotiation and stakeholders management is one of the key skills I want to highlight. Not only did Hlib ensured that their needs were satisfied, but also he managed to build relationships with every type of stakeholder we communicated with.
As for me, the person who was developing the product, it was always straightforward what are the real business needs. Hlib was taking care of the proper explanation of the reasoning and the problems we are trying to solve, but at the same time, he was aquatinted with the process of software development and how the business side should cooperate productively with developers to achieve the best results and build proper solutions.
It was a pleasure to work with such a professional like Hlib, I wish I had more such Product Owners as Hlib in my career journey!
Oleksandr Abharian — Founder & CEO of IT-Magic (AWS Advanced Consulting Partner) | Scaling businesses on AWS
Hlib is a force to be reckoned with in the realm of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing. His role as Head of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing at Pandora is not just a title but a testament to his unparalleled skills. I have the pleasure to collaborate with Hlib on several high-stakes projects, and his expertise in driving digital growth, customer engagement and partnership is evident.
His strategies are both innovative and effective, yielding measurable results. What sets Hlib apart is his ability to understand the customer journey intricately, which empowers him to implement initiatives that are not just data-driven but also customer-centric.
If you're looking for a visionary leader who can transform your digital landscape while fostering team growth, Hlib is your go-to professional.
Kirill Andrusiak — Digital Strategist | SEO | PPC | LinkedIn Marketing Specialist
I have been working with Hlib for over 4 years on the Pandora project for PPC advertising management. I consider Hlib a master of his craft, as any issues that arose as obstacles to achieving results were promptly resolved by Hlib and his team. Furthermore, whenever there are any questions or suggestions from our team, Hlib always maintains an open position, providing valuable advice and insights that help us achieve the company's business goals. Sincerely grateful for your cooperation!
Alex Multykh — Co-Founder of Dataforest | Operational Data & AI Architecture for Procurement, Supply Chain & Decision Systems
Hlib is outstanding product owner in e-com I had a pleasure to work with. He has a deep knowledge of the market tools and understanding of how to leverage the business by integrating them. His ability to communicate in both business and technical tongues and also willingness to turn the complex marketing strategies into the simple milestones made our projects run efficiently and stress-free.
I can strongly recommend him as a result-oriented professional!
Sergii Siniavin — Senior Full Stack Developer | Laravel, Vue (Nuxt.js), React (Next.js), Shopify
I worked with Hlib on a large-scale project at a well-known international jewellery brand, where he served as Chief Digital Officer and held full strategic and commercial ownership of the ecommerce channel.
Hlib kept his focus firmly on commercial and operational outcomes throughout. From a developer's perspective, what stood out was that the business context was never left out of the conversation. He consistently communicated to the team what each technical initiative was for, what commercial outcome it was meant to drive, and why it mattered to the broader business. That clarity made a real difference to how the work was approached and prioritised. Under his leadership, every ecommerce process was structured and transparent.
His approach to building the channel was systematic. He actively identified and implemented the most effective modern technologies and solutions, strengthening the product and optimising business processes.
He was also highly effective at aligning the marketing, development, and DevOps teams, creating the kind of joined-up working that keeps a complex project moving in one direction.
We later worked together on a Shopify Plus ecosystem project. Despite an entirely different technical environment, Hlib adapted quickly, went deep into the processes, and maintained the same focus on delivering business results.
I recommend Hlib as a senior digital commerce leader with the rare ability to combine enterprise-scale technical decision-making with direct commercial accountability.
Antonio Bonaccorso — Collection Chief Merchandiser, Product Development & Production Director
I cannot refrain from recommending Hlib as he is all substance. Working with him I have appreciated his uncoventional approach to all matters that always leads him to cost efficient and result efficient solutions. I have had the privilege to have conversations with him well beyond the scope of just the topics that we had to tackle together and I have always been impressed by how he is efficient and how he always comes up with solutions and strategies that are sensibly tailored to what is achievable in every specific financial and professional context. Hlib is so genuinely passionate about E-Commerce that is knowledge and his ideas go beyond any other person I have met in this field.