Her Story
About Jillian
Jillian Payne, CSM is the Senior Director of Product Delivery at Quility Insurance, where she leads the strategy, governance, and operating model that support the organization's growing product delivery function. During her seven-year tenure with the company, she has advanced from Project Manager to a senior leadership role, helping transform Quility's delivery organization from traditional project management into scalable, product-focused teams. Working closely with executive leadership, including the Chief Product Officer, Payne oversees portfolio operations, governance, capacity planning, and delivery frameworks that enable the company's continued growth and innovation.
A Certified ScrumMaster with a passion for operational excellence, Payne specializes in building high-performing teams, developing scalable processes, and creating delivery models that balance structure with agility. She is known for bringing clarity to complexity, aligning cross-functional teams around shared goals, and fostering collaborative cultures where people can do their best work. Her leadership philosophy centers on keeping people at the heart of every decision while designing sustainable systems that empower organizations to grow without sacrificing innovation or connection.
Payne attributes her success to the resilience she developed growing up as one of seven children and to the mentors who invested in her leadership journey. She credits leaders such as Karina Smith, Meredith Ellison, and Logan Herring with helping her build confidence, overcome imposter syndrome, and lead with authenticity. Guided by the belief that influence is earned through action rather than title, Payne encourages emerging leaders to advocate for themselves, seek out strong mentors, and focus on creating opportunities for others to succeed. Her commitment to servant leadership, continuous improvement, and human-centered operations continues to shape the future of product delivery at Quility Insurance.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jillian
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's definitely my past. I'm one of seven kids, and which really drove me to stand out and try to just self-advocate. I would attribute a lot of it to just having that grit and the want to do more, and then the people that helped me get there. So, my previous mentors, one of my managers here at Quility, Karina Smith, was just so amazing and I've learned so much from her.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to advocate for myself, never be afraid to ask questions, and embrace opportunities to grow. I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors, including Karina Smith, Meredith Ellison, and Logan Herring, whose guidance has helped me build confidence, overcome imposter syndrome, and develop my leadership style. Their example has taught me the importance of leading with authenticity, continuously learning, and creating opportunities for others to succeed.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My biggest advice is not waiting for a title to build influence. Once you've built it, advocate for the recognition with the data you're doing, and not just wait it out. Just keep doing it. Just own it, keep leaning into what you're good at, and it will come as you're building that out. Find people who will actively fight for you, not just ones who don't block you, but ones that actually fight for you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in my field is helping organizations successfully navigate growth and change while keeping people at the center of every decision. I enjoy building scalable processes, governance, and operating models that create structure without limiting collaboration or innovation. For me, the most rewarding part of this work is bringing clarity to complex challenges, aligning teams around shared goals, and creating sustainable systems that empower people and support long-term success.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say just people over process. I really love leaning into that, and I think that's also attributed to why I'm as successful, because I like seeing how is this gonna work for everyone. I like adding a flare of fun. I'm really lighthearted. And then simplicity. I want to make it get to the core and the root of something where how do we make this as easy as possible and still guard those relationships and connect.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.