About me — Anastasia Vastola
Practice · Twenty years on
How I lead
I don't subscribe to a single style or solution. Every challenge I've tackled has come with its own context, goals, gaps, and motivations. I seek to read that accurately and adjust accordingly, not simply apply a framework.
What stays constant is the bar I hold for myself and the people around me. Not a bar defined by promotion timelines or performance reviews, but by impact, craft, and growth. I want the people who work with me to leave better than they arrived: sharper in their thinking, more confident in their judgment, and proud of what we built together. If they look back and feel that working with me was a turning point, that is the outcome I am after.
In practice, I lead with clear expectations, meaningful autonomy, and honest feedback. I flex the level of support I provide based on what's needed. I value independent research and rigorous thinking before a team gets together to debate. I want people to come with a point of view, defend it, and be genuinely open to changing it. Pressure-testing is how good ideas get better, and every meaningful initiative should have measurable outcomes we can validate against — because accountability without evidence is just intention.
Experience
- Product Operations & Program Lead — Anastasia Vastola LLC · 2024 — Present · Operational strategist and hands-on working partner
- Director of Product Operations — Huntress · 2023 — 2024 · Managed Cybersecurity Platform for SMBs, B2B SaaS Startup, Series C
- Chief of Staff, Engineering · Sr. Director, Strategy & Operations — Mural · 2021 — 2023 · Collaboration SaaS Platform, B2B SaaS, Series C Scaleup
- VP, Digital Program Management & Operations — The Walt Disney Company · 2019 — 2020 · Public Media Company — Direct to Consumer & International Products & Services
- VP, Program Management & Operations — National Geographic Partners · 2017 — 2019 · Private Media Company — Digital Products & Services
- Program Director → Head of Program Management — AKQA · 2010 — 2017 · Public Global Marketing & Experiences Agency — Digital Products & Services
- Digital Project Manager & UX Designer — Greenfield Belser Ltd. · 2005 — 2010 · Branding & Identity Agency — Digital Products & Services
How I lead, in practice
- Situational by design — I read the people and the context before deciding how to show up as a leader. No single style fits every situation.
- High bar, human approach — I hold people to a high standard because I believe in their potential, not to meet a metric or check a box.
- Autonomy with accountability — Clear goals, real ownership, and the support to succeed. I flex involvement based on skill and need, not habit.
- Debate as a discipline — I encourage independent thinking, healthy challenge, and strong opinions loosely held. Pressure-testing is how good ideas get better.
- Augmentation, not abdication — AI sharpens human judgment; it doesn't replace it. The accountability stays with the operator in the room.
- Leave people better — My measure of success as a leader is whether the people I worked with are stronger, more capable, and more confident when they move on.