Drew Hopkins UXR DIRECTOR & CONSULTANT

Research that moves strategy forward.

From leading medical service teams to building research functions, my operational background taught me to invent creative and efficient frameworks; under pressure, zero-to-one and at scale.

I've led research across a global Fortune 500, a fintech start-up, and digital consultancy; shaping product decisions for millions of users through strategic systems and AI-native workflows.

Drew Hopkins

Highlights from my 4-year tenure at SMBC

$0→$4B

in assets, guided by research-driven product strategy

My roleResearch defined our target customer and shaped the MVP features we launched with.

0→250K

customers acquired through research-informed brand and marketing funnels

My roleResearch informed our brand direction, messaging, adverts, and acquisition funnels.

13x

weekly acquisition of our wealth management tool

My roleOversaw the discovery and testing that redesigned its onboarding, which also lifted savings account sign-ups through that channel by 35%.

How I grow teams

Elevating Leadership

Three promotions out of the six researchers I managed, each with a different path.

New researcher→Associate

Building confidence first

This researcher was new and unsure of themselves presenting. I started with direct feedback, recognized their progress in front of stakeholders, then stepped back as they grew.

FeedbackGuidanceDelegation

Associate→Senior

Strategic calls and challenging stakeholders

This researcher's craft was already strong. I helped them set direction, let them lead, and backed their judgment when stakeholders pushed back.

FeedbackGuidanceDelegation

Staff→VP

Handing over real territory

This researcher was a seasoned partner. I handed them real parts of my role: a cross-functional redesign, vendor management, and our impact tracker.

FeedbackGuidanceDelegation
Read more about how I lead

In their words

What it's like to work together

“He's the kind of manager everyone deserves to have at least once.” I went from a researcher who would sweat through a 30-minute readout to leading end-to-end research on our company's credit card strategy — and eventually earning a promotion to Senior UX Researcher… he created a space where I felt safe to struggle, ask questions, and grow at my own pace.
Danica CalderonSr. UX Researcher
“He led a team of 5 other researchers, many of whom were promoted under his leadership.” Passionate and knowledgeable… he leans into new ways of working and is always thinking of new tests or new technology he can use to improve speed and results. Drew would make a strong addition to any research team and add value from day one.
Andrew HarrisHead of Product, Marketing, and CX at Jenius Bank
“Managers like Drew are few and far between, and I'd work with him again in a heartbeat.” He gave me real autonomy to own my work and trusted me to shape how we could scale our mixed methods and quant practice. He was always in my corner, making sure my contributions got seen by the right people.
Hannah ElbaggariSr. UX Researcher
“Drew has a wonderful ability to turn research into strategy.” His monthly insight sessions became a cornerstone for aligning product, marketing, and executive teams. Drew balanced a wide array of stakeholders and consistently turned complexity into confident, customer-centered decisions.
Lincoln MongilloVP, Product
“Drew is one of the best managers I've had.” He leads with trust and a genuine openness to new ideas. That combination of caring deeply about his team while never losing sight of innovation made for a team culture that was both supportive and forward-thinking.
John MiramontesUX Researcher
“Drew is a skilled leader in business partnership, team leadership, and analytical rigor.” One specific project that we worked on together was developing an enterprise segmentation. He helped oversee qualitative and quantitative research to develop consumer profiles that helped rally the organization and centralized jobs to be done.
Amanda GivensHead Brand Strategy

Open to new opportunities

Let's work together

UX Research Director · Head of Research · AI Strategy, remote or relocating