This week, Pete Hogan, Senior Vice President of Technology at Compana Pet Brands, shares his journey from a systems integrator to an award-winning CIO, revealing how he navigates a complex, multi-brand landscape to drive growth and innovation. Learn how Pete unified disparate IT teams into a single, cohesive unit and successfully led a rapid cloud upgrade with zero major issues. He discusses his philosophy of shifting from a "player coach" to a "mentor contributor," empowering his team to become strategic business partners. From handling rapid-fire acquisitions to leveraging AI for company-wide training, Pete offers invaluable wisdom on strategic thinking, humility, and the power of giving back to the community that shaped his career.
Bio: Responsible for leading the strategic and tactical technological team efforts for Compana Pet Brands. Proven business technology leader in adapting and evolving IT teams to partner and prioritize efforts around "What Matters Most" to customers (both internal and external). Establishes trust through continued delivery of key initiatives and results while focused on value-based delivery.
Extensive background across multiple IT and business functional areas. Prior to joining Compana Pet Brands, served as the CTO for Post Holdings and in Vice President roles with MasterCard, ViJon and Caleres, where he successfully led development and design across key efforts year over year. Some of these key accomplishments have been:
- Strategic Leadership: Spearheading the technological vision and strategic direction for Compana Pet Brands, with a steadfast commitment to aligning IT endeavors with core customer values and business priorities.
- Trusted Business Partner: Cultivating enduring trust through consistent delivery of pivotal initiatives, underpinned by a steadfast focus on value-driven outcomes for all stakeholders.
- Diverse Expertise: Boasting a comprehensive background spanning various IT and business domains, with a proven track record of leading transformative development and design initiatives at Post Holdings, MasterCard, ViJon, and Caleres.
- Pioneered enterprise-wide GenAI innovation, developing and deploying AI-driven solutions that deliver measurable ROI beyond industry hype. Core areas include demand forecasting, eCommerce marketing, customer service, manufacturing, consumer testing, alternative formulation, social media engagement, optimizing operations, and customer engagement.
- Innovative Analytics: Championing the integration and advancement of analytics and data science, fostering the creation of adaptable models that enhance operational efficiency across diverse divisions.
- Enterprise Technology Road mapping: Formulating and executing a cohesive strategy for the lifecycle management of enterprise applications and data systems.
- Unified Security Framework: Architecting and implementing a robust enterprise security model, complemented by unified analytics for enhanced oversight and risk management.
- Data Privacy Leadership: Pioneering and steering the Data Privacy function at Post Holdings, demonstrating a three-year tenure of progressive leadership.
- Program Management Excellence: Overseeing critical enterprise-wide initiatives, ensuring seamless execution and strategic alignment.
- Vendor and Cloud Transition: Innovating vendor and partner management frameworks to expedite the transition from on-premise solutions to cloud-based business applications.
- Process Re-engineering: Redefining and streamlining processes within multiple CPG environments to achieve operational excellence.
- ROI and Value Realization: Maximizing return on investment through strategic value realization initiatives, driving financial and operational performance.
- Educational and Community Leadership: Holding a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from St. Louis University, actively mentoring future leaders, contributing thought leadership at technology conferences, and serving on esteemed boards such as the HMG STL Strategy Board, Missouri Science & Technology and Inspire CIO St. Louis.
Something Extra: "Empowering their teams... and figuring out on an individual level, what are their growth needs."
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