Annie McCarter
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© 2026 Annie McCarter

Annie McCarter

AI Strategy & Product|MBA (AI) from Kellogg|Engineering Leader

Resume

Annie McCarter is an AI strategist and product leader who translates complex technology into clear, actionable plans for executive audiences. She holds an MBA in Artificial Intelligence from Northwestern University's MBAi Program, a joint degree between the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering.

Annie brings a rare combination of creative thinking and technical depth to AI strategy and product roles at tech companies. At McMaster-Carr, she led a team of four engineers automating customer service systems, designed the implementation strategy for LLM integration into order processing, and delivered automation that eliminated the equivalent of five full-time positions. She built a server-side cache library in C# that improved response times by over 80% and architected warehouse automation systems processing 70,000 daily orders.

At Overtone and ESAB, Annie shaped AI product strategy and delivered results for senior leadership by connecting business objectives to technical solutions. She is looking for AI strategy and product roles where she brings engineering fluency, executive communication, and a creative approach to building products that drive measurable impact.

Annie grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and attended Park Tudor School, where she served as President of the Honor Council and Captain of the Varsity Girls Tennis Team.

Northwestern University

MBA, Artificial Intelligence (MBAi Program)

Aug 2024 - Jun 2026 · Evanston, IL

  • Joint-degree program between the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering
  • Coursework in machine learning, AI product management, data-driven decision making, and organizational leadership

Northwestern University

Bachelor of Arts, Art History and Communication Studies

Sep 2016 - Jun 2020 · Evanston, IL

  • Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Study abroad in Madrid through IES Abroad
  • Spoleto Study Abroad program in Italy
  • Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages

Overtone

AI Product Strategy Intern

Mar 2025 - Sep 2025

ESAB

AI Transformation Intern

Jun 2025 - Aug 2025 · New York, NY (Remote)

McMaster-Carr

Software Engineering Manager

Oct 2023 - Sep 2024 · Chicago, IL

  • Led a team of 4 SWEs, specializing in automating and enhancing customer service systems and processes
  • Ran design sprints and managed feature planning, testing, rollout, and stakeholder communication
  • Part of a small team that designed the architecture and implementation strategy for LLM integration in the Text Order Entry system
  • Managed end-to-end product lifecycle for automating customer identification in emails, saving 5 FTEs
  • Mentored 20 new hires and supported the Women in Tech ERG, fostering inclusion and professional growth

Software Engineer II

Sep 2022 - Oct 2023 · Chicago, IL

  • Engineer on the Website Performance team
  • Utilized performance profiling tools and domain expertise to identify and address server-side performance issues
  • Built a cache library in C# for McMaster.com, improving server response time by over 80%

Software Engineer I

Oct 2020 - Sep 2022 · Chicago, IL

  • Refactored the warehouse receiving system to support a new goods-to-person automation setup, enhancing capacity and operational efficiency
  • Developed a new fundamental data entity to track all materials checked into the warehouse, enabling streamlined inventory management
  • Built an automated tool to release 70,000 scheduled orders daily, reducing manual effort
  • Redesigned and led Mainframe Tech Training

SWAP

Co-Founder

Sep 2016 - Oct 2020 · Evanston, IL

  • A startup at Northwestern University that facilitated the exchange of skills across campus

Datassential

Market Research Intern

Jun 2019 - Dec 2019 · Chicago, IL

  • Selected, organized, and analyzed data on market trends in the food industry to identify opportunities to maximize client growth
  • Streamlined the process of consolidating industry trends, saving the company the equivalent of one FTE
  • Internship extended through Fall based on contribution to the team and positive relationships

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Marketing and Communications Intern

Jun 2018 - Aug 2018 · Indianapolis, IN

  • Co-managed summer social media marketing campaign for the IMA at Newfields
  • Collected and analyzed data to identify trends in attendance for past exhibitions to improve ticket sales growth

reHarvest Provisions

Director of Community Outreach & Social Media

Sep 2017 - Jun 2018 · Evanston, IL

  • Identified top Chicago influencers based on audience engagement, visibility, and value alignment for a Kellogg School of Management startup

Northwestern University

Research Assistant

Sep 2017 - Dec 2017 · Evanston, IL

  • Created databases on the global distribution of contemporary artist exhibitions
  • Contacted museums and major art institutions and created visual representations of summary statistics

At Northwestern, Annie co-founded SWAP, a startup that facilitated the exchange of skills across campus, and served as Vice President of the Club Tennis Team. She was also a Research Assistant studying the global distribution of contemporary artist exhibitions.

Annie volunteers on the Marketing and Sponsorship Committee for the Society for Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, a 250-member organization that contributes annually to the museum's permanent contemporary art collection. She previously directed Down Syndrome Tennis of Indiana, where she organized and taught weekly tennis lessons to children with Down Syndrome.

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