Blog posts by Satata Satez

Meet the latest OMVPs - H1 2026 Cohort

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:05:08 GMT

Meet the Latest Cohort of Optimizely Most Valuable Professionals (OMVPs)

Every year, the Optimizely Most Valuable Professional (OMVP) program recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to support the Optimizely ecosystem. These are practitioners who not only build exceptional solutions with the platform but also actively share their knowledge, mentor others, and contribute to the growth of the community.

From solution architects and developers to strategists and digital leaders, OMVPs represent some of the most passionate voices in the Optimizely network. Through blog posts, community discussions, speaking engagements, technical contributions, and real-world implementations, they help push the ecosystem forward.

Today, we’re excited to introduce the latest cohort of 2026 H1 Optimizely MVPs joining the program. Each of these individuals brings deep expertise, practical experience, and a strong commitment to sharing knowledge across the Optimizely community.

Let’s meet them.

Tom Robinson

Tom Robinson is a Technical Analyst at MSQ DX, part of the MSQ group, where he works closely with development teams to deliver high-quality Optimizely CMS solutions. With a strong focus on quality assurance and engineering excellence, Tom plays a key role in ensuring Optimizely implementations are performant, scalable, and aligned with modern best practices.

Beyond delivery, Tom helps shape product strategy for clients who need future-ready CMS platforms across both PaaS and SaaS environments. He is particularly passionate about bridging the gap between technical implementation and strategic business outcomes, with a focus on content architecture and editor-friendly solutions.

Elisabeth Oruba

Elisabeth Oruba is Lead CMS Advisor and Team Manager at NoA Ignite, where she helps global organizations turn digital experience platforms into engines for growth. With more than 15 years of experience spanning content strategy, editorial operations, and enterprise CMS implementations, Elisabeth brings a strong content-first perspective to digital transformation.

Her work focuses on aligning technology, teams, and content to deliver measurable business impact. She is especially interested in modern content operating models and how AI is transforming the way organizations scale digital experiences.

Vaibhav Warhadpande

Vaibhav Warhadpande is an Optimizely Architect and Practice Head at Roya lCyber, where he specializes in delivering scalable solutions across Optimizely Configured Commerce, CMS, and CMP. With extensive experience designing and implementing digital commerce and content platforms, Vaibhav helps organizations build high-impact digital experiences that support both business growth and long-term scalability.

He is an active contributor to the Optimizely community, regularly sharing knowledge, offering solution architecture guidance, and mentoring fellow practitioners. Vaibhav is passionate about driving innovation within the ecosystem and helping teams unlock the full potential of the Optimizely platform.

Stephen Leathem

Stephen Leathem is a Senior Solution Architect with nearly two decades of experience in the Optimizely ecosystem. As the former co-founder of Made to Engage — one of the largest Optimizely agencies globally before its acquisition by UNRVLD — Stephen has played a pivotal role in delivering complex enterprise implementations across the platform.

He has architected large-scale Optimizely DXP solutions for organizations operating in over 100 markets, working across CMS PaaS, Campaign, Configured Commerce, and broader platform integrations. Stephen also brings deep expertise across the martech ecosystem, including PIM, DAM, marketing automation, and customer data platforms.

Daniel Halse

Daniel Halse is a Senior Developer at Netcel with more than 30 years of experience in software engineering and over 15 years working with Optimizely technologies. He specializes in designing and implementing CMS and B2B Commerce solutions, with extensive experience delivering enterprise-scale digital platforms.

Throughout his career, Daniel has led cloud migrations, complex platform upgrades, and modernization initiatives for large digital ecosystems. Known for his collaborative mindset and technical rigor, he consistently delivers solutions that balance architectural integrity with business outcomes.

Michał Mitas

Michał Mitas is passionate about building meaningful digital experiences with Optimizely. Combining deep technical expertise with a strong business mindset, he focuses on helping organizations unlock the full potential of the Optimizely One platform.

An active contributor to the Optimizely community, Michał enjoys knowledge sharing, collaboration, and supporting others on their Optimizely journey.

Ratish Kothakurussi

Ratish Kothakurussi is a Senior Technology Architect with more than 22 years of experience across leading Digital Experience Platforms. He has led large-scale enterprise transformations across multiple industries, giving him a strong understanding of real-world implementation challenges and best practices.

Beyond project delivery, Ratish actively contributes to the community through blogs, video tutorials, and technical knowledge sharing, helping practitioners navigate complex implementation patterns and platform capabilities.

Jacob Spencer

Jacob Spencer is Head of Engineering at DotCentric, bringing nearly two decades of experience delivering digital experience platforms across industries including membership, not-for-profit, manufacturing, and ecommerce.

He is passionate about building technology strategies that combine strong culture, operational excellence, and modern architecture. Jacob is also an advocate for knowledge sharing and collaboration within the Optimizely ecosystem.

Jonathan Seal

Jonathan Seal is a digital strategist and industry speaker with more than 30 years of experience working with global brands across digital agencies. He has been working with Optimizely technologies since 2010 and currently holds board-level responsibility at Mando Group for ensuring Optimizely platforms deliver measurable ROI for clients.

As a Strategy OMVP, Jonathan helps organizations understand how Optimizely fits into their broader digital transformation initiatives. He is also Opal certified and an accredited GCI practitioner, supporting teams in working more effectively together while aligning technology decisions with real business value.

Madhumidha Anbalagan

Madhumidha Anbalagan brings more than 20 years of hands-on experience working with digital experience platforms. She is deeply committed to strengthening the Optimizely community through knowledge sharing and practical technical guidance.

With multiple Optimizely certifications, Madhumidha actively creates blogs, videos, and Opal projects designed to help practitioners learn faster and deliver better solutions.

Reema Pathak

Reema Pathak is Director of Growth at Dotcentric and brings more than 15 years of experience helping organizations align business priorities with digital strategy and technology decisions to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Working alongside Dotcentric’s team of senior Optimizely experts, she advises organizations across retail, manufacturing, membership, regulatory, and not-for-profit sectors. Her focus is helping leadership teams understand where digital experience, experimentation, and emerging technologies such as AI can deliver measurable value.

Adam Boulahlib

Adam Boulahlib leads operations at DotCentric, delivering complex digital experience platforms with clarity, structure, and measurable impact. With over 20 years of experience, he combines deep platform expertise with operational leadership to help organizations confidently execute large-scale digital transformations.

Adam is also passionate about sharing knowledge and supporting the continued evolution of the Optimizely community.

Ian Finch

Ian Finch brings nearly 30 years of experience in digital transformation and business change consulting. Over the course of his career, he has worked with hundreds of organizations across thousands of projects spanning multiple sectors.

Having worked with Episerver since 2010, Ian has played an influential role in shaping digital transformation strategies across the Optimizely ecosystem. As a member of the Optimizely Partner Advisory Board, he provides pragmatic guidance to organizations navigating implementation, rollout, and adoption.

Isabelle Stephen

Isabelle Stephen is an Optimisation Consultant and experimentation specialist who helps organizations translate customer insight into measurable growth through evidence-driven experimentation programs. Her work spans CRO, digital strategy, and performance optimization, where she supports teams in making smarter decisions backed by data and testing.

Having worked across both the UK and UAE, Isabelle brings a global perspective to experimentation and digital experience strategy. She is also a strong advocate for thoughtful innovation, actively mentoring marketers and promoting a culture of continuous improvement within the digital ecosystem.

Sunil Kumar

Sunil Kumar is a Solution Architect with over 15 years of experience specializing in Optimizely CMS and Commerce platforms. He focuses on building scalable digital experience and commerce solutions, with expertise spanning enterprise architecture, checkout optimization, and complex payment gateway integrations including Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Alongside his implementation work, Sunil actively contributes to the Optimizely community through blogs, forums, and user group events, sharing practical knowledge that helps other developers and architects navigate complex platform challenges.

Jonathan Williams

Jonathan Williams is an experienced DXP and CMS consultant with more than 20 years of experience working with enterprise organizations. His work focuses on ensuring digital platforms are not only technically robust but also aligned with strategic business objectives.

Through his work with enterprise customers, Jonathan helps design scalable, maintainable solutions that support long-term digital growth. His expertise in aligning architecture with business outcomes has made him a trusted advisor across complex digital transformation initiatives.

Stephen Gillespie

Stephen Gillespie is a seasoned digital strategist with more than two decades of experience across the CMS and DXP landscape, having worked both client-side and as an implementation partner. Throughout his career, he has helped organisations design and evolve digital platforms that deliver real business impact. Stephen has a particular focus on regulated industries, including finance, utilities, membership organisations, and manufacturing, where thoughtful platform strategy and governance are critical.

Passionate about ensuring organisations get the maximum value from their technology investments, Stephen works closely with teams to align digital platforms with long-term business goals. His experience and strategic perspective make him a valuable contributor to the Optimizely ecosystem and wider community.

Welcome to the OMVP Community

The Optimizely community thrives because of individuals who are willing to share their expertise, mentor others, and push the platform forward. This new cohort of OMVPs embodies exactly that spirit.

This announcement highlights just a portion of the talent and dedication that makes the Optimizely community so strong. Our OMVPs represent a wide range of roles, industries, and regions, but they all share a common passion: helping others succeed with the Optimizely platform.

We’re excited to see how this new cohort will continue to contribute their expertise, share practical knowledge, and inspire the broader ecosystem in the months ahead.

👉 Know someone who should be an OMVP? Encourage them to apply or nominate them directly

Episode 2 of the OMVP Strategy Roundtable is out

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:26:14 GMT

AI is everywhere right now. Strategy decks are full of it. Roadmaps promise it. Tools are shipping faster than teams can keep up.

But when it comes to actually adopting AI inside organisations, the story is far more complicated.

In Episode 2 of the OMVP Strategy Roundtable, members of the OMVP Strategy Community came together to talk openly about what really happens when AI moves from idea to implementation and, more importantly, to everyday use. This conversation focused less on what AI can do, and more on why so many AI initiatives stall after the initial excitement fades.

Across the discussion, one theme kept resurfacing: AI adoption is not a technology problem, it’s a people and operating model problem.

The panel explored how organisations often rush toward AI capabilities without clear ownership, realistic expectations, or a plan for how teams will actually change the way they work. From experimentation that never scales, to unclear success metrics, to internal resistance driven by fear or overload, the group unpacked the real friction points that slow adoption down long after the tools are in place.

Rather than treating AI as a feature to roll out, the conversation framed adoption as an ongoing learning process. One that requires space for experimentation, clarity on value, and leadership that’s willing to evolve operating models, not just add new technology on top of old ways of working.

As with our first episode, this roundtable brought together experienced strategists and practitioners who have seen these challenges play out across multiple organisations and industries. The discussion reflects real-world experience, not theory, and is grounded in the realities of delivering and sustaining change.

Due to the depth of the conversation, Episode 2 is released in two parts on Optimizely Academy, with a full-length version available on Spotify. We recommend watching both parts to get the full context and flow of the discussion.

Featuring Dom Graveson, Lori McDonald, Janaka Fernando, Kashif Hasan & Paul de Metter:

🎥 Watch Part 1: [Academy Link]
🎥 Watch Part 2: [Academy Link]
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify: [Link]

If you’re responsible for shaping AI strategy, driving adoption, or helping teams move from experimentation to impact, this episode offers practical insights into what it really takes to make AI work in practice, not just on paper.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. If this session sparked questions, reflections, or ideas for future topics, join the conversation in the community or reach out to the Optimizely Community team.

Introducing the OMVP Strategy Roundtable: Our First Episode Is Live

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:20:13 GMT

One of our biggest priorities this year was strengthening the strategic voice within the OMVP community. While the group has always been rich with engineering excellence, we saw an opportunity to elevate the practitioners who guide the organisational, operational, and human side of digital transformation. So we reached out to OMVPs interested in shaping this space, and with nearly 50 members putting their hands up, we spun up a dedicated Slack channel where daily discussions quickly began to form the backbone of what would become a new initiative: the OMVP Strategy Working Group.

This community-led group was created to support digital leaders by exploring Optimizely’s impact through the lens of strategy, operations, and change, not code. Our mission is simple: highlight strategy-focused OMVPs and amplify their insights, business cases, and perspectives on how Optimizely creates value beyond the build. The leadership group driving this work for the year includes Dom Graveson (Netcel), Janaka Fernando (Altudo), Lori McDonald (Brilliance), Kashif Hasan (First Three Things), and Paul de Metter (Independent Consultant).

Why This Group Exists

Through months of conversations with partners, practitioners, and OMVPs, one thing became clear:
There was no dedicated space in the community for high-level strategic conversations.

So an extended working group was formed, community-led, product-agnostic, and focused on exploring the Digital GTM landscape:

Core Purpose:
Support digital leaders by exploring digital strategy, operations, and change.

We emphasise:
✔ Business cases
✔ Outcomes
✔ How Optimizely enables real strategic impact

We avoid:
✘ Deep technical build talk (other groups already do this brilliantly)

Today, we’re excited to release the first piece of content out of those Slack discussions: Episode 1 of the Optimizely Strategy Roundtable, a two-part conversation exploring Post-Implementation & Adoption Strategy. The panel dives into the realities that shape long-term success but rarely get talked about openly, from why adoption fails even when the build “succeeds” to how buyer maturity, editor experience, project framing, and organisational culture influence platform ROI. Their discussion also surfaces the importance of continuous discovery and the role agencies must play much earlier in the process.

What the episode covers:
• Why adoption often breaks down after go-live
• The overlooked importance of editor experience
• What agencies can influence before a line of code is written
• How buyer maturity shapes outcomes
• Why continuous discovery beats “big bang” projects

Featuring Dom Graveson, Lori McDonald, Janaka Fernando, and Kashif Hasan, with special thanks to the OMVPs whose Slack insights shaped this discussion: Jacob Pretorius, Paul de Metter, Johan Kronberg, Scott Reed, Ronil Rangaiya, Kevin Schofield, and Lorna Foott

🎥 Watch Part 1: [Academy Link]
🎥 Watch Part 2: [Academy Link]
🎧 Full audio on Spotify: [Link]

If you have feedback or topics you’d like us to explore next, reach out anytime, this series is built with the community and for the community, and we’d love to hear from you.

New Certification Alert: Become a Certified Optimizely CMS PaaS Administrator

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:00:51 GMT

If you’ve ever managed an Optimizely CMS environment, you already know it’s not just about deployments and settings. It’s about keeping everything running smoothly, securely, and efficiently, like a well-oiled machine that never skips a beat.

Now there’s a way to prove you’re one of the people who can do exactly that.

The Optimizely CMS PaaS Administrator Certification is officially here.

This certification validates your ability to manage CMS environments on Optimizely’s PaaS with confidence, from handling deployments and user access to optimizing environments and monitoring system performance. It’s your stamp of credibility that says, “Yes, I know how to keep this ship steady.”

What you’ll need before diving in

Before taking the exam, make sure you’ve checked off the essentials:

Completed PaaS CMS for Administrators and PaaS CMS Essentials for Editors on Academy.
Watched the PaaS CMS event recordings — they’re packed with practical insights straight from the product team.

Once you’ve covered these, you’re set to go.

Why get certified?

Let’s be honest — credentials matter. But this one’s more than just a badge.

Here’s why it’s worth your time:

Gain industry-recognized credentials that prove your Optimizely expertise.
Strengthen your professional credibility and open up new career opportunities.
Show your mastery in managing deployments, environments, and access rights.
Stand out as a trusted admin who can keep CMS operations secure, stable, and scalable.

Whether you’re already deep into PaaS or just starting to expand your technical toolkit, this certification helps you show that you don’t just know what to do, you understand why it matters.

Ready to get certified?

If you’re ready to take the next step in your Optimizely journey, it’s time to make it official.
👉 Take the PaaS CMS Admin Certification Exam

Test your skills, prove your expertise, and add one more solid win to your professional story.

World Login is Moving to Opti ID

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:21:09 GMT

Starting Wednesday, September 24th, (at 2:00 PM EST) world.optimizely.com will require Opti ID for all logins. This change brings World in line with the rest of the Optimizely ecosystem and ensures a seamless, secure experience across products. Here’s what’s changing, why it matters, and how to prepare.

Next Step: Check Your Inbox for Your Opti ID Invite

You’ll need an Opti ID to log into World. Invitations were sent,check your inbox and spam folders for a message from us. Didn’t receive one? Reach out and we’ll make sure you get set up.

What is Opti ID?

Opti ID is our single sign‑on solution that lets you use one account for all Optimizely products. It offers a single login URL, switching between products without re‑entering credentials, unified user and group management via the Admin Center, and a central place to view usage and billing dashboards support.optimizely.com. Opti ID even supports optional features like SAML/OpenID Connect integration, multi‑factor authentication and SCIM provisioning for automated user

✅ Why We’re Making This Move

Unified Access: With Opti ID you’ll log in once and switch between products like CMS, CMP and Experimentation using a global navigation bar
Improved Security: Opti ID uses industry‑standard protocols and can be configured with MFA or your own identity provide Simpler Workflow: Manage your account, users and roles in one place and move seamlessly across Optimizely tools

How to Log In with Opti ID (Quick Tutorial)

Click the Log In button on world.optimizely.com.
Enter your Opti ID email and continue.
Enjoy the World community! You’ll now be logged in via Opti ID and can engage with and create forums, blogs and resources.

Need Help?

This change will go live on Wednesday, September 24th, at 2:00 PM EST. Please make sure you’re ready by checking your inbox for your Opti ID invite and confirming your login works ahead of time. If you haven’t received your Opti ID invite or have trouble logging in, contact us. We’re here to ensure the transition is smooth. Please contact epw@optimizely.com with details for assistance.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to welcoming you to World with Opti ID!

Learn more about Opti ID in our user guide.

New Opal Certifications Are Live and Free!

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:15:53 GMT

We’ve got some exciting news to share: two brand-new Opal certifications are now available and they’re completely free.

Whether you’re already working with Opal or just starting to explore what it can do, these certifications are a chance to build credibility, sharpen your skills, and stay ahead in a fast-changing digital world.

What’s New?

🎓 Opal Administrator Certification
Prove your ability to manage and optimize Opal. From setting up users to fine-tuning workflows, this certification shows you can keep the platform running smoothly across your organization.

⚙️ Opal Tools Certification
Demonstrate that you know how to build, configure, and deploy AI-powered tools inside the Optimizely ecosystem. This is where strategy meets execution, turning smart ideas into scalable solutions.

Why Take These Exams?

Because knowledge is only valuable when you can prove it. These certifications give you:

Recognition as someone who knows how to make AI practical and impactful.
An edge in conversations with clients, colleagues, or leadership.
Confidence that you’re making the most of what Opal has to offer.

And did we mention? They’re free. There’s no cost to register, no hidden strings. Just an opportunity to level up.

Who Should Enroll?

Customers looking to maximize their investment in Optimizely.
Partners who want to demonstrate expertise to clients.
Anyone curious about how AI can change the way we plan, build, and experiment.

Take the Next Step

The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll stand out.
👉 [Enroll in the Opal Administrator Certification]
👉 [Enroll in the Opal Tools Certification]

Don’t just talk about the future of AI, show you’re ready for it.

Meet the newest OMVPs – summer 2025 cohort

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:59:03 GMT

We’re excited to welcome the latest group of Optimizely Most Valuable Professionals (OMVPs) into the program! This summer’s cohort highlights a blend of developers, strategists, and digital leaders who’ve been making waves across the Optimizely ecosystem.

The OMVP program exists to recognize individuals who go above and beyond in sharing knowledge, driving innovation, and helping others unlock the full potential of Optimizely’s products. From publishing technical deep-dives to creating impactful content and resources, these professionals embody what it means to be both experts and advocates.

After a careful review of applications from around the globe, we’re proud to introduce the OMVP Summer 2025 cohort. Each brings unique expertise, a collaborative spirit, and a passion for helping the community thrive. Let’s meet them 👇

Nikki Punjabi from Gravitas

Nikki Punjabi specializes in delivering large-scale Optimizely CMS solutions with a fouc on simplicity, scalability, and performance. He has led multi-stie builds, complex content migrations, and integrations-heay programs while ensuring smooth DevOps pipelines and editor-first experiences. Passionate about solving real-world chanllenges, Nikki creates modular approaches and automation strategies that make enterprise delivery faster and easier to manage. We're especially excited to welcome him as one of our first OMVPs from the Dubai region, where Optimizely is expanding its footprint.

Mark Welland from Niteco

Mark Welland is a senior digital strategist with over 20 years of experience leading growth and innovation across industries. As EVP at Niteco, he oversees strategy and delivery for Europe and North America, advising global brands on AI adoption, commerce, and customer experience. With eight years in the Optimizely ecosystem, Mark has championed solutions that drive measurable impact and revenue growth.

Robert McGovern from Remarkable

As a DXP Optimisation Consultant, Robert McGovern sits at the intersection of developers, designers, and clients, ensuring projects get the most out of Optimizely’s platform capabilities. In today’s composable world, Rob keeps a close eye on new tools and features, helping pitch, implement, and train clients on strategic use cases such as personalization and content optimization. His hands-on approach and client-first mindset make him a trusted advisor for driving meaningful digital outcomes.

Riann Smith from Remarkable

Riann Smith is a Program Lead at Remarkable Global, specializing in platform-led delivery with Optimizely DXP. She focuses on governance, content operations, and experimentation to help enterprises launch faster, scale smarter, and drive measurable value from their digital investments.

Mikael Mansour from Sogeti

Mikael Mansour has been working with technology for over a decade and is passionate about building Optimizely solutions that deliver real results. At Sogeti, he serves as a tech lead while also sharing knowledge through blogs, forums, and internal initiatives. A true technology enthusiast, Mikael is constantly learning, growing, and giving back to the community, empowering others to succeed in the Optimizely ecosystem.

Tomasz Juranek from Include Agency

As Chief Technology Officer at Include Agency, Tomasz Juranek brings nearly two decades of experience delivering Digital Experience Platforms across hospitality and finance sectors. With a human-centered approach, he’s passionate about turning new ideas into reality and building bridges through knowledge-sharing. When he’s not architecting solutions, Tomasz enjoys family time and traveling between Poland, Czechia, and Japan, reflecting his global perspective on technology and community.

Stanisław Szołkowski from First Line Software

Stanisław Szołkowski is a Principal Software Developer with experience spanning enterprises, startups, and consultancies. Skilled in designing and delivering robust solutions across B2B and B2C, his technical depth is matched by his dedication to building community. As a leader and speaker at the DX Club at First Line Software, Stanisław actively contributes to professional knowledge-sharing and inspires peers to adopt better practices within the Optimizely ecosystem

--

This announcement represents just a glimpse of the passion and expertise that powers the Optimizely community. Our OMVPs come from diverse backgrounds and regions, but they’re united by a single goal: helping others succeed with Optimizely.

We can’t wait to see how Nikki, Mark, Robert, Riann, Mikael, Tomasz, and Stanisław will continue to share knowledge, elevate standards, and inspire innovation across the ecosystem.

👉 Explore the full roster of OMVPs on the World OMVP Members Page
👉 Know someone who should be an OMVP? Send them the link to apply or nominate them directly

🎓 New Certification Icons Are Now Live on World!

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:59:37 GMT

If you’ve passed an Optimizely Academy certification, you’ll now see something new beside your name on World — fresh certification icons are live starting today!

Over the past few months, Academy has launched several new exams, but the corresponding icons weren’t updated right away. That’s because we were working on something bigger: a full refresh of the certification icon set along with a new guideline to keep things consistent for future certifications.

The wait is over, and the updated icons are now live! These new visuals make it easier than ever to showcase your expertise at a glance.

🖼️ How the New Icons Work

To keep things clear and easy to recognize, each certification type now has its own shape:

Rectangular frames → Developer certifications
Circular frames → Administrator certifications
Rounded squares → Strategy certifications

And for those who go the extra mile…

Expert-level certifications come with a yellow dash at the bottom of the icon, shaped to match the frame — a subtle but powerful marker of advanced expertise.

🌐 PaaS vs. SaaS: Spot the Difference

We’ve also made it easier to distinguish between PaaS and SaaS certifications through color treatments:

PaaS icons → solid blue fill with a white icon inside
SaaS icons → white fill with a blue outline and blue icon

Why This Matters

These new icons aren’t just about looks, they’re about recognition. The Optimizely community is built on expertise, learning, and sharing, and now your achievements can be represented more clearly and consistently.

These icons aren’t just markers, they’re a quick way for others in the community to recognize your role and expertise. Whether you focus on development, administration, or strategy, your certification now stands out in a way that highlights your contribution and builds trust with peers, partners, and potential collaborators.

New Certification Available: CMP Administrator

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:36:42 GMT

We’re excited to share that CMP Administrator Certification Exam is now live on Optimizely Academy

This credential is designed for professionals who configure and manage the Content Marketing Platform (CMP). By earning it, you’ll prove your expertise in supporting content operations at scale — and stand out as a trusted CMP specialist.

What You’ll Be Tested On

The exam validates your ability to:

Set up and maintain users and permissions
Manage workflows and approvals
Organize campaigns and tasks
Oversee asset management and collaboration

If your role involves administering CMP, this is the perfect way to demonstrate your skills and build credibility in the community.

How to Prepare

To get ready for the exam, we recommend:

Completing the CMP eLearning courses on Optimizely Academy
Reviewing available event recordings covering CMP best practices and features

These resources will guide you through the exact knowledge areas included in the exam.

Get Certified Today

The CMP Administrator Certification is available now. Take the next step in your career, showcase your skills, and earn your credential.

👉 Enroll now and take the CMP Administrator Certification Exam

From AI to Frontend Hosting: A Look Back (and Forward) at 2025’s Optimizely Happy Hours

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 20:19:13 GMT

One of the best things about the Optimizely community? We never stop learning, and we love sharing what we’ve learned. That’s what the Optimizely Virtual Happy Hour series is all about.

Our tech community comes together regularly online to share ideas, showcase new innovations, and learn from hands-on Optimizely implementations. So far in 2025, we’ve explored everything from how AI (Opal) and personalization are shaping digital experiences, to best practices for CMS migrations, tips for earning certifications, and strategies to get the most from your commerce platforms. Each session has offered fresh takeaways for developers, marketers, and strategists alike and now, we’re getting ready to shift gears and go full frontend mode.

But before we dive into what’s coming up next, let’s take a quick look back at the journey so far. 👇

January – Kicking Off with AI

We started the year strong with a deep dive into AI-powered content workflows.

Luc Gosso showed off updates to the Epicweb AI Assistant Plugin, think image generation, localization, and accessibility improvements.
Zahiduzzaman from Optimizely gave us a dev-first look at why Opal is different, and how it’s built to make your job easier.

Watch the recording in Academy: January Happy Hour

February – Enhancing CX with Visual Builder & ODP

Mark Everard showed how to get the most out of Visual Builder in Optimizely CMS.
Maurice Camara connected the dots between ODP, Content Recs, and Experimentation, revealing how these tools can supercharge personalization efforts.

Watch the recording in Academy: February Happy Hour

April – Frictionless Migrations & Future-Proof Skills

Linus Ekström walked us through the Epinova Content Migration Tool, making CMS transitions smoother than ever.
Audreyanna Olson introduced us to Optimizely’s new certifications, helping folks level up no matter where they are in their journey.

Watch the recording in Academy: April Happy Hour

May – Exploring Opal's Edge in Content Marketing & Beyond

Patrick Lam unpacked how Opal compares to GenAI, showing how it's not just hype, it’s helping teams work smarter.
Andy Blyth dropped knowledge on teaching AI to “speak” industry-specific languages, whether you’re working in banking or bikes.

Watch the recording in Academy: May Happy Hour

June – All Things Commerce - Insights & ROI

Lori McDonald shared hard-earned wisdom on maximizing ROI with Commerce Connect, covering UX wins and automation tricks.
Cecilia Ramirez took us behind the curtain with roadmap updates, AI features, performance tools, and maturity assessments across the commerce suite.

Watch the recording in Academy: June Happy Hour

What’s Coming Up: August 15 – All Things Frontend Hosting

Whether you're just exploring Optimizely Frontend Hosting or you're ready to deploy, this month’s Happy Hour has something for you. We’ve lined up two powerhouse speakers to bring both vision and execution into one session:

👩‍💻 Anna Pleshakova – Product Roadmap & Vision
Get a firsthand look at what’s possible with Optimizely Frontend Hosting today, how it compares to other solutions, and what’s coming next.

🧑‍💻 Szymon Uryga – How-To & Hands-On Implementation
Watch a live walkthrough of implementing Frontent Hosting, including real code, best practices, and Q&A.

📅 Date: Friday, August 15, 2025
⏰ Time: 11 AM EST / 5 PM CET
📍 Location: Online (Zoom link after registration)

👉 Save your spot now – you don’t want to miss this one.

And mark your calendars for what’s next:

October 3: September’s Happy Hour (rescheduled) – post-Opticon and Summit recap with insights and takeaways you can put into action.
October 31: Our regular October edition to close the month, with fresh, relevant topics to be announced soon.

Haven’t Been to a Happy Hour Yet?

It’s not a webinar. It’s not a training. It’s a community gathering.
We bring together developers, strategists, product experts, and OMVPs to share what’s working, what’s new, and what’s next.
One speaker from Optimizely. One from the OMVP community. Zero fluff.

If you’re looking to get smarter, move faster, and connect deeper, this is the space

👋 See you on August 15!
Bring your questions, your curiosity, and maybe your favorite beverage.

New Administrator Certifications Are Here — 7 Ways to Get Certified with Optimizely

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:48:25 GMT

Not a developer but want to prove your product expertise? We’ve got great news.

We’re thrilled to announce the expansion of Optimizely’s certification portfolio with seven role-based Administrator exams, designed specifically for non-developer roles who work closely with our platform. Whether you’re owning deployments, optimizing experimentation, managing B2B commerce, or leading content operations, there’s now a certification made just for you.

These new exams allow marketers, project managers, product owners, analysts, and admins to validate their skills and stand out as trusted experts in their organizations.

What’s New?

We have launched three brand new certifications today:

🔧 DXP Administrator Certification

Manage and maintain the full Optimizely DXP environment, including user access, deployments, and environment configurations — with confidence. This exam covers dashboard usage, Azure portal interaction, and operational best practices.

🧪 Feature Experimentation Administrator Certification

Perfect for product and experimentation leads. Learn how to manage feature flags, analyze test results, and drive smarter releases across your teams.

🛒 Configured Commerce Administrator Certification

If you're managing a B2B commerce implementation, this exam will test your knowledge of user setup, content management, and how to configure the platform for operational excellence.

Explore the Full Lineup of Administrator Certifications

Whether you're working in content, data, or experience orchestration, there’s a track that fits your role:

🧠 ODP Administrator Certification
Become the go-to expert for integrating and harmonizing customer data across the Optimizely ecosystem.
📊 Optimizely Analytics Administrator Certification
Turn analytics into action. Master dashboards, data flows, and cloud-based insights to help your team scale with confidence.
✍️ SaaS CMS Administrator Certification
Work hands-on with CMS every day? This exam is for content editors, site managers, and those focused on delivering great web experiences.
🌐 SaaS CMS Administrator (Expert) Certification
Take your CMS skills to the next level. Ideal for strategists and advanced users who shape the architecture and success of content-driven experiences.

Why Get Certified?

Optimizely certification exams are developed using industry-accepted standards to ensure they reflect the real-world skills and knowledge required for success.

By getting certified, you’ll:

Stay up to date with the skills needed to excel in your role
Strengthen your professional profile and signal credibility within your organization
Increase your visibility for career advancement and industry recognition
Gain confidence in your ability to use Optimizely tools effectively in a hands-on capacity

Whether you’re managing customer data, coordinating deployments, or leading experimentation programs, certification helps you demonstrate impact — without needing a technical title.

Ready to Get Certified?

Visit our Optimizely Certification Page to register, access prep resources, and start proving your skills.

Introducing the Feature Experimentation Administrator Certification

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:20:07 GMT

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Feature Experimentation Administrator Certification, the newest addition to our growing suite of role-based certifications at Optimizely.

This certification is purpose-built for those who manage, implement, or scale experimentation programs using Optimizely’s Feature Experimentation. Whether you’re setting up environments, coordinating with engineering teams, or analyzing experiment results, this exam is your chance to validate your expertise and establish credibility in a fast-evolving space.

Who is it for?

This certification is ideal for:

Feature Experimentation Admins
Product Owners
Technical Marketers
Consultants and Implementation Specialists

If your role involves managing feature flags, designing rollout strategies, or ensuring data accuracy across experiments, this exam is for you.

What does it cover?

The exam tests practical knowledge across four key areas:

Environment and project setup
Managing user roles, feature flags, and variables
Launching experiments and feature rollouts
Ensuring clean experiment results and data integrity

Backed by industry standards

Optimizely certifications are developed using industry-recognized best practices for exam design. Each assessment is rigorously evaluated to ensure it accurately reflects the day-to-day responsibilities and challenges faced by professionals working with our tools.

Ready to prove your skills?

Explore the Feature Experimentation Administrator Certification 👈

Add this certification to your toolkit—and show the world you're ready to lead with data, confidence, and impact.

Meet the Newest OMVPs – Winter 2025 Cohort

Wed, 14 May 2025 13:00:05 GMT

We're excited to officially welcome the latest winter cohort of Optimizely Most Valuable Professionals (OMVPs) - a group of passionate tech evangelist, strategists, marketers, and developers who've made a real impact within the Optimizely Community.

The OMVP program exists to recognize individuals who consistently go above and beyond to share their knowledge, empower others, and champion the value of Optimizely's products in public forums, customer conversations, and real-world implementations. Whether through insightful blog posts, open-source contributions, or thought leadership at global events, these professionals help shape the future of digital experience.

After a thoughtful review of applications from across continents, we're proud to introduce our OMVP Winter 2025 Cohort. Each of them brings a unique voice, technical depth, and a strong desire to contribute to something bigger.

Let's get to know them.👇

Hua Wu from Beryl Consulting

Hua Wu is a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience bridging software engineering and project delivery across industries including media, education, travel, finance, and retail. Her expertise spans content management systems, cloud-native microservices, e-commerce platforms like Optimizely, and enterprise API development. Known for solving complex technical challenges and optimizing delivery processes, Hua has successfully led globally distributed teams in executing large-scale digital transformation projects. She is also an advocate for AI-powered innovation, driving initiatives that refine product roadmaps, improve onboarding timelines, and strengthen client success through strategic feedback and automation.

Damian Smutek from First Line Software

Damian Smutek is a seasoned software developer with eight years of experience specializing in Optimizely CMS and Commerce projects. His passion for continuous learning and clean, best-practice-driven code has fueled his active involvement in the Optimizely community, where he regularly contributes insights through forum participation and his personal blog. Damian is dedicated to sharing knowledge and solutions with fellow developers and is committed to helping elevate development standards across the Optimizely ecosystem.

Jagmeet Kaur from Altudo

Jagmeet Kaur is a Technical Lead at Altudo, where she specializes in architecting scalable, high-performance digital solutions using modern frameworks such as Next.js, .NET, and headless CMS platforms. Her expertise spans across Optimizely, Sitecore, and broader martech ecosystems, with a strong focus on Jamstack principles. Jagmeet actively shares her knowledge through blogs and her YouTube channel, offering practical tutorials and implementation guidance. Her passion for mentorship and developer advocacy continues to strengthen the Optimizely community and inspire the next generation of technical leaders.

Dariusz Woźniak, Freelancer

Dariusz Woźniak is a seasoned software engineer, blogger, and best-selling author known for his dedication to building maintainable, high-impact digital solutions. Since 2019, he has worked extensively with Optimizely products across a range of industries, blending technical precision with thoughtful architectural design. With a passion for both system-level optimization and human-centered development, Dariusz approaches software as a craft—emphasizing empathy, communication, and long-term value for users, teams, and clients alike.

Silvio Pacitto from Thinkmax

Silvio Pacitto is a Senior Business Analyst at Thinkmax, A Talan Company, with over 13 years of experience in the e-commerce space. With a unique blend of expertise in web development, project management, and business analysis, he brings a hands-on, strategic perspective to every engagement. Silvio’s consulting background enables him to bridge technical execution with business goals, ensuring solutions that deliver meaningful results. A firm believer in the power of collaboration, he thrives on transforming big ideas into practical outcomes. When he’s not working, Silvio enjoys weekend rounds of golf, quality time with family, and firing up the grill for a classic backyard BBQ.

Lorna Foott from 26 DX

Lorna Foott is the Director of Partnerships at 26 DX, part of the MSQ agency group, and has been a passionate advocate of Optimizely for over 15 years. Her career journey spans client services, sales, and strategic partnerships, all anchored by a deep commitment to the Optimizely community. As an active Product Advisory Board (PAB) member and thought leader, Lorna regularly contributes through event curation and content that highlights the real-world value of Optimizely’s DXP. She excels at connecting product potential with business outcomes, helping clients unlock maximum impact from their investment. Recognized as an Optimizely MVP, Lorna continues to champion innovation and collaboration across the ecosystem.

Wiselin Jaya Jos Kanagamani from Remarkable

Wiselin Jaya Jos Kanagamani is a seasoned developer and system architect known for delivering high-performance, scalable websites and web applications. With a deep expertise in Optimizely and a passion for leveraging AI-driven solutions, he stays at the forefront of emerging technologies while rigorously adhering to modern web standards. Wiselin combines technical precision with strategic thinking, enabling businesses to build future-ready digital experiences. His commitment to innovation and community knowledge-sharing has earned him recognition as an Optimizely MVP.

Dom Graveson from Netcel

Dom Graveson leads the strategic design and digital transformation advisory practice at Netcel, where he champions digital product-centered design, innovation, and organizational change—all deeply rooted in the Optimizely ecosystem. With over 20 years of experience, Dom has partnered with global enterprises like Centrica, The Open University, Sky, and Nedbank to deliver impactful digital programs. As a thought leader and advocate for sustainable digital evolution, Dom brings a sharp strategic lens to how organizations maximize their investment in Optimizely to drive long-term value.

This announcement represents just a fraction of the global expertise and passion that fuels the Optimizely community. Our OMVPs come from diverse disciplines and regions, united by a shared goal: to inspire, lead, and help others get the most out of the platform.

As OMVPs, you’re not only valued members of this program, you’re influential voices shaping the future of digital experience. We’re excited for what lies ahead and can’t wait to see how your ideas, insights, and innovations continue to elevate the community.

Here’s to growth, collaboration, and what we’ll build together next.

Explore more of our outstanding OMVPs by visiting the full list on our OMVP Page

Know someone who should be an OMVP? Send them the link to apply or nominate them directly.

Exam Prep Sessions are now live: Here's what you need to know!

Thu, 08 May 2025 13:25:19 GMT

So you've decided to level with an Optimizely certification. Congratulations! That's a smart move for your career in digital experince, but anyone who have been through the process knows that preparing for a certification exam can feel like scaling a mountain without a guide. What topics matter most? Where do candidates typically stuble? And how can you make the most of the limited time you have?

That's exactly why we created our 4-hour Exam Prep Sessions. Led by certified Optimizely trainers who've been in your shoes, these power-packed sessions will help you on what truly counts: the key concepts, proven strategies, and insider tips that will give you confidence on test day.

Why You Will Love Our Exam Prep Sessions

Expert Guidance: You wont get generic study tips here. Our trainers, each with deep product expertise and hands-on exam experience, will walk you through the critical areas of the curriculum and share real-world examples of how those features get applied
Targeted Training: In four focused hours, we'll cover the exam scope, highlight common pitfalls, and run through practice questions. No filler, no fluff - just the essentials you need to know
Flexible options for every learner: Flying solo? Grab an Individual Seat for $300 and join a live, open-enrollement session.
Got a team? Book a Dedicated Company Session for $2,500, tailored to your specific certification track and delivered at your preferred time.

Whether you’re a developer aiming for the CMS certification, an experimentation strategist prepping for your next credential, or a team lead looking to upskill the entire crew, these sessions are designed to help you pass with flying colors.

Click here to purchase your Exam Sessions rightaway: Academy Exam Prep Sessions

New Optimizely Certifications – Take Your Skills to the Next Level

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:03:27 GMT

Big news! We’ve just launched five new Optimizely certifications to help you validate your skills and stand out in the world of digital experience optimization. Whether you're a developer, administrator, or strategist, these certifications will give you the credentials to showcase your expertise and advance your career.

Explore the New Certifications

- Commerce Connect 14 Developer Expert Competency

For experienced developers who work with Commerce Connect 14, this certification tests your ability to implement, customize, and troubleshoot Optimizely’s commerce solutions.

- Commerce Connect 14 Developer Core Competency

If you're getting started with Commerce Connect 14, this certification covers the core concepts and functionalities of Optimizely’s commerce integration tools—perfect for building a strong foundation.

- ODP Developer Core Competency

This one’s for developers who work with Optimizely Data Platform (ODP). You’ll be tested on data ingestion, API integrations, and personalization strategies to create seamless customer experiences.

- ODP Administrator Core Competency

Designed for ODP administrators, this certification focuses on configuring, maintaining, and optimizing ODP for data-driven decision-making, including segmentation, automation, and reporting.

- Product Recommendations Strategist Core Competency

For marketers and e-commerce strategists, this certification validates your ability to configure and analyze recommendation strategies that drive customer engagement and conversions.

Why Get Certified?

Prove your expertise with industry-recognized credentials.
Boost your career and stand out in the job market.
Stay ahead with the latest Optimizely innovations.

All certifications are now available on Optimizely Academy. Pick your path, prepare, and get certified.

For questions, reach out to education@optimizely.com.

Level Up with Optimizely's Newly Launched Certifications!

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:08:41 GMT

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our Optimizely Certifications—designed to help partners, customers, and developers redefine what it means to be an expert on the Optimizely platform!

Why This Launch Matters

For Our Partners: Our top-performing partners continually set the standard for platform expertise. These certifications, developed in collaboration with Optimizely MVPs (OMVPs) and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), ensure that you stay ahead. The updated exams are informed by real-world insights—common support tickets and best practices directly from partner-led projects—so you're tested on what truly matters.

For New Partners: Starting your Optimizely journey? Our Core Competency certifications are crafted to guide new partners through essential documentation, providing a clear focus to build a solid foundation for successful implementations. Exam questions are aligned with typical challenges new users face, helping you hit the ground running.

For Our Customers: Certifications aren’t just for partners anymore! With the introduction of Administration and Strategist certifications, customers can now validate their day-to-day product knowledge and expand into new product areas. This means your teams can gain the expertise needed to drive successful projects and maximize the value of Optimizely products.

Ready to Prove Your Expertise?

Whether you're deepening your platform knowledge or stepping into new product areas, our certifications are here to support your growth.

Explore and register for our newly launched certifications:

Stay ahead. Stay certified. Let’s build something amazing together!

Resize Images on the Fly with Optimizely DXP's New CDN Feature

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:16:39 GMT

With the latest release, you can now resize images on demand using the Content Delivery Network (CDN). This means no more storing multiple versions of the same image and a significant boost to your website's performance.

How Does it Work?

It's all about the URL. By adding specific parameters to your image URLs, you can instruct the CDN to dynamically resize, crop, and optimize your images before delivering them to the user's browser. This is a game-changer for several reasons:

Improved Page Load Speed: Smaller image files mean faster loading times, leading to happier visitors and better SEO.
Reduced Storage Costs: Say goodbye to managing countless image variations.
Enhanced User Experience: Deliver the perfect image size for any device, ensuring a seamless browsing experience.

Getting Started with Image Resizing

Here's the basic URL structure you will use:

https://<DOMAIN>/cdn-cgi/image/<OPTIONS>/<SOURCE-IMAGE>

Let's break it down:

<DOMAIN>: Your website's domain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com).
/cdn-cgi/image/: This tells the CDN to activate the image resizing feature.
<OPTIONS>: A comma-separated list of transformations (e.g., width=300,quality=80).
<SOURCE-IMAGE>: The path to your original image file (e.g., globalassets/images/hero-banner.jpg).

Example:

HTML

This code will deliver a resized version of hero-banner.jpg with a width of 300 pixels and a quality of 80%.

Powerful Options for Customization

Optimizely DXP's CDN offers a wide range of image transformation options, including:

Resizing: Control width, height, and aspect ratio with different fitting modes like contain, cover, and crop.
Quality Adjustment: Fine-tune image quality to find the perfect balance between visual fidelity and file size.
Format Conversion: Automatically serve images in next-gen formats like WebP and AVIF for improved compression.
Effects and Filters: Apply blur, sharpen, brightness adjustments, and more.
Cropping and Trimming: Precisely control image composition by cropping from specific sides or coordinates.

Responsive Images Made Easy

With the new .NET tag helpers, implementing responsive images is a breeze. You can define different image sizes for various screen sizes and let the browser choose the most appropriate one. This ensures optimal image delivery for every user, regardless of their device.

Important Considerations

File Size Limit: For best performance, stick to images under 10MB.
Third-Party Domains: You cannot resize images hosted on external domains.
CDN Routing: Image resizing only works when traffic is routed through the Optimizely DXP CDN.
Versions: This feature is available for CMS 12 and all future versions and CMS (SaaS) customers.

Take Control of Your Images

Optimizely DXP's new image resizing feature empowers you to optimize your website's visuals without sacrificing performance. By leveraging the CDN's capabilities, you can deliver stunning images that load quickly and adapt seamlessly to any device. Start experimenting with the new URL parameters and tag helpers today to unlock the full potential of your website's imagery!

For more DXP release information check out the support center on Optimizely.com.

Blog posts by Satata Satez

Meet the latest OMVPs - H1 2026 Cohort

Meet the Latest Cohort of Optimizely Most Valuable Professionals (OMVPs)

Tom Robinson

Elisabeth Oruba

Vaibhav Warhadpande

Stephen Leathem

Daniel Halse

Michał Mitas

Ratish Kothakurussi

Jacob Spencer

Jonathan Seal

Madhumidha Anbalagan

Reema Pathak

Adam Boulahlib

Ian Finch

Isabelle Stephen

Sunil Kumar

Jonathan Williams

Stephen Gillespie

Welcome to the OMVP Community

Episode 2 of the OMVP Strategy Roundtable is out

Introducing the OMVP Strategy Roundtable: Our First Episode Is Live

New Certification Alert: Become a Certified Optimizely CMS PaaS Administrator

What you’ll need before diving in

Why get certified?

Ready to get certified?

World Login is Moving to Opti ID

Next Step: Check Your Inbox for Your Opti ID Invite

What is Opti ID?

✅ Why We’re Making This Move

How to Log In with Opti ID (Quick Tutorial)

Need Help?

New Opal Certifications Are Live and Free!

What’s New?

Why Take These Exams?

Who Should Enroll?

Take the Next Step

Meet the newest OMVPs – summer 2025 cohort

🎓 New Certification Icons Are Now Live on World!

🖼️ How the New Icons Work

🌐 PaaS vs. SaaS: Spot the Difference

Why This Matters

New Certification Available: CMP Administrator

What You’ll Be Tested On

How to Prepare

Get Certified Today

From AI to Frontend Hosting: A Look Back (and Forward) at 2025’s Optimizely Happy Hours

January – Kicking Off with AI

February – Enhancing CX with Visual Builder & ODP

April – Frictionless Migrations & Future-Proof Skills

May – Exploring Opal's Edge in Content Marketing & Beyond

June – All Things Commerce - Insights & ROI

What’s Coming Up: August 15 – All Things Frontend Hosting

Haven’t Been to a Happy Hour Yet?

New Administrator Certifications Are Here — 7 Ways to Get Certified with Optimizely

What’s New?

🔧 DXP Administrator Certification

🧪 Feature Experimentation Administrator Certification

🛒 Configured Commerce Administrator Certification

Explore the Full Lineup of Administrator Certifications

Why Get Certified?

Ready to Get Certified?

Introducing the Feature Experimentation Administrator Certification

Who is it for?

What does it cover?

Backed by industry standards

Ready to prove your skills?

Meet the Newest OMVPs – Winter 2025 Cohort

Hua Wu from Beryl Consulting

Damian Smutek from First Line Software

Jagmeet Kaur from Altudo

Dariusz Woźniak, Freelancer

Silvio Pacitto from Thinkmax

Lorna Foott from 26 DX

Wiselin Jaya Jos Kanagamani from Remarkable

Dom Graveson from Netcel

Exam Prep Sessions are now live: Here's what you need to know!

New Optimizely Certifications – Take Your Skills to the Next Level

Why Get Certified?

World Login is Moving to Opti ID

Next Step: Check Your Inbox for Your Opti ID Invite

What is Opti ID?

How to Log In with Opti ID (Quick Tutorial)