VP · Digital Analytics · Seattle, WA

MIKE
WATTS

Turning data into decisions, and decisions into results — for 20+ years.

MW
20+
Years in Analytics
208%
ROI on ML Project
$80M
Incremental Revenue
About

Data.
Strategy.
Impact.

I'm a VP-level digital analytics and data science leader with over two decades helping companies turn raw data into competitive advantage. At Merkle, I've built and led global teams, owned P&L, and shipped ML-powered products that generate measurable, lasting ROI.

I believe great analytics is half science, half storytelling — and that the best insights are the ones that actually change behavior. Whether I'm modeling customer funnels, mentoring analysts, or architecting a new data product, I lead from first principles.

Beyond the day job: Web3 builder, Jaguar driver, and lifelong asker of questions that lead to better answers.

Get in Touch

Core Competencies

Digital Analytics
Data Science & ML
Adobe AEP / CJA
Product Strategy
P&L Ownership
Team Building
A/B/n Testing
MarTech Stack
Google Cloud
AWS
Snowflake
Web3 / Solidity
Python & SQL
Stakeholder Mgmt
Campaign Planning
DEI Leadership
Experience

Where I've
Done the Work

Oct 2015 – Present
Merkle
Vice President

Leading cutting-edge digital analytics and data science initiatives for enterprise clients across financial services, retail, and beyond. P&L owner, team builder, and product innovator.

Built an automated ML marketing activation product using k-means segmentation — boosted lead conversion 17% and delivered 208% ROI in year one.
Led A/B/n test-and-learn program improving customer acquisition 15%, generating $80M incremental revenue in a single campaign.
Deployed abandon-browse email campaigns reducing cart abandonment 32%, resulting in $25M incremental revenue.
Scaled team from 20 to 40 FTE globally in one year while improving gross margin by 5 points.
Aug 2006 – May 2015
Possible
Associate Director

Drove data-driven transformation across automotive, hospitality, and retail verticals. Led cross-functional teams to build analytics solutions that connected insights directly to revenue.

Increased quote submissions 9% across 2,000 automotive dealer websites through quantitative analysis and A/B/n optimization.
Drove 67% lift in loyalty sign-ups for a major hospitality program and +25% program ROI by unifying disparate data sources into a single insight dashboard.
Mar 2001 – Aug 2005
Washington Mutual
Business Analyst II

Built the analytics infrastructure from the ground up — SQL-based BI environments, automated reporting, and a culture of data collaboration.

Reduced ad hoc reporting cycle time by 50% through automated reporting systems and collaborative BI tooling.
Designed and built SQL-based BI database environment still in use post-engagement.

Answers Beget
Questions

All Posts →
AI & Data

Why Most AI Analytics Projects Fail Before They Start

The problem isn't the model. It's the question. Here's how I think about framing AI problems that actually deliver business value.

Coming Soon
Marketing Science

From Segments to Signals: How We Built a Self-Learning Marketing Engine

A deep dive into building k-means segmentation that actually gets used by the business — not just admired by data teams.

Coming Soon
Web3 & Future

What Blockchain Gets Right About Data Ownership That Big Tech Gets Wrong

After years in digital analytics, I've been thinking hard about who really owns user data — and what Web3 changes about that equation.

Coming Soon
Projects

Built, Not
Just Advised

01
Product · API

WattsCheck

A VIN intelligence API aggregating NHTSA safety data, recall records, fuel economy, EV charging costs, and real-time market pricing into a single endpoint. Built on Cloudflare Workers. Designed for used car buyers, dealers, and fleet operators.

02
Community · Web

Seattle Jaguar Club

Technical Lead, Webmaster, and Board Member since 2016. Built and maintained the digital presence for the Pacific Northwest's premier Jaguar owners club — events, membership, newsletter, and more.

Let's Connect

Have a Question?
I Have Answers.

Open to advisory roles, speaking engagements, and interesting conversations.