About me
Hello world, nice to meet you.
Hi, I’m Michael Kopcsak—a digital Product, UX Design and Research leader, maker, husband, father of three, and someone who’s endlessly curious about how things work (and how they could work better). I’ve built and led global teams across enterprise and consumer tech, bringing thoughtful, scalable experiences to life for millions of users. From detailed design critiques, product backlog grooming to high-stakes executive conversations, I bring clarity, credibility, and connection across every level of the organization. I'm a Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®) – Scrum Alliance in addition to my years of direct product development experience.
I live in this idyllic little town called Los Gatos, CA where we've made many friends, put down deep roots in the Santa Cruz Mountains and enjoy both the advantages of Silicon Valley with the restful peacefulness of the wilderness.
Right now, I head up International UX at Walmart, where I oversee design, research, accessibility, localization, and ops across ecommerce, supply chain, and sourcing. Before that, I helped transform how Equinix, Cisco, and VMware approached user experience—from “make it pretty” to “make it strategic.” Across roles, I’ve driven design culture shifts, championed research where it didn’t exist, and partnered closely with PMs and engineers to move the needle for both users and the business.
My roots are in studio art and interaction design, and I still love building things with my hands. Outside of work, I’m usually chasing kids, brewing beer, working out, mentoring designers, or enjoying the view from our house in the Santa Cruz Mountains. (hint the pictures on the right are the view).
If you'd like to connect with me and discuss a product management or design leadership role, collaborate on a homebrew, or see how I can help you navigate the corporate landscape as a product or design professional, just reach out!
I’ve been making things since I was a kid—starting with forest forts behind my childhood home, then functional ceramics in college, and now bread baking and beer brewing for friends and family. Whether it’s food, art, or a small batch Kolsch, I’ve always loved the process of creating things with care and craft.
Learn more about my brewing...
So I said I was a maker...
Our daughter, is way into the veggie garden with me and loves to pick the strawberries and help me make ice cream, scones and whatever else we can think of. She's a natural born leader and is president of the Leos Club at her middle school. She'll be at LGHS next year and we can't wait for her to continue her academic and leadership excellence at that great school.
About my family
Early in the pandemic, our oldest son who was in the 8th grade
lwas struggling with the isolation and distance learning. Always a highly energetic athletic kid, he grew up playing baseball year round, so he was used to being super active.
As he approached his freshman year, he came to my wife and I with a request to play football. We both automatically said "No!" (out of concerns for his physical and long term brain health). He didn't necessarily take no for an answer. Instead, he spent time writing a speech about how he felt football would enrich his life, and delivered it to us at the dinner table in front of the whole family.
At the time, we were still very much in pandemic era restrictions, so we thought, well, they won't really play any games, so why not let him run with it.
Turns out he's a darn good football player and run he did! He now is at Cal Poly as a walk on running back.
Football is a big part of our family culture
Our academic and athletic powerhouse
Our middle son, is also a football player and track athlete and has GPA of over 4.0. He smashes through the line as a running back and overcomes all academic challenges that come his way. We get such a thrill out of watching him grow and become the amazing ingenious person he is.