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Resume

Delivers technology strategy, aligning IT as a valued partner to internal business partners & fueling change

 Jay Hawkinson

 

 

As an executive leader in Technology, AI, and Data, Jay Hawkinson brings over 20 years of experience transforming data capabilities into substantial business value. He specializes in guiding organizations to unlock strategic advantages through data-driven solutions that enhance growth, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning. His work has been recognized by prestigious honors, including the 2023 Informatica Innovation Award for Business Acceleration, the 2024 ICON Top 100 Data & Analytics Professionals, and membership in the Forbes Technology Council.

 

 

Distinctive Fit and Value

 

AI, Data, & Digital Strategy and Execution, Enterprise Data Management, Data Governance & Stewardship, C-Suite Communication & Reporting, Applications / Enterprise Architecture, M&A/Due Diligence/Integration, Leading Change, Project Management – PMP Certified, Analytics, AI & ML, Risk / Compliance – SOX, CCPA & GDPR, Stakeholder Engagement, Cloud Data Platforms – Azure, AWS & Google, Automation Tools, Manufacturing Technology, Leadership & Strategy

 

 

Executive Leadership Achievements

 

Lamb Weston:  In first 6 months, created a global, decentralized Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office focusing on reusable data products, self-service enablement, and quick time to value.  Reduced budget by 25%, and still delivered over $400K in productivity improvements by eliminating the need for temps.

Valmont: Delivered on  strategic roadmap ahead of schedule, outpacing industrial peers in maturity (Gartner). 80% improvement in delivery time and fostering 26% reduction in time-to-insights. Successes with Artificial Intelligence for HR, EHS Safety, and Material Forecast, reducing 14%-time lost incidents, $1M in improved productivity, and reducing licensing costs by 36%.

AFL Global: Serving as the senior leader over applications and architecture,  and later the interim CIO, reorganized the IT Application Team to be more business-focused while increasing agility of IT function; overall satisfaction up by 28% by driving organizational change.  Delivered over $5M in value by improved productivity and cost reductions.

Belden Incorporated: Directed Salesforce Shared Service encompassing 1.8K users and 4 business platforms on global scale supporting $2.4B in revenue; assumed failing implementation project and added $20M in annual revenue. 

 

Professional Experience

Lamb Weston, Inc. | Global $6B Consumer Packaged Goods
Eagle, Idaho | 2023 to  Present

Senior Director of Data Analytics
31 direct reports and over thirty indirect in decentralized Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office.

  • Created a decentralized Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, focusing on using global data to increase business value. Reorganized a strictly IT reporting function, built and started delivering on a strategy of reusable Digital Data Products, Self-Service Enablement, and a quick time to value.
  • Collaborated with and presented Data Strategy and roadmap. Regularly interfaced and influenced C-Level executives (including CIDO, CFO, and CSO) on driving initiatives like self-service, AI, data useability, and Innovation.
  • Used AWS and Snowflake to create a Data Lakehouse to address global needs, both tactical (lack of visibility after a complex SAP implementation) and strategic (secure data stores across APAC, EMEA, and Americas).
  • Led multiple teams to use the new data and technologies across functions. Successes with Inventory Visibility (saved 26 people from manual work), approving claims (replacing over $400K in temps), and several AI initiatives.
  • Reduced budget by over 25% in year one, improving service and maturity.

Valmont, Industries | Global $5B industrial high-tech and services company
Omaha, Nebraska | 2020 to  2023

Director of Data Analytics & Insights
19 direct reports and twenty indirect in four functional based Data Governance and Stewardship Centers of Excellence.

  • Led the shift towards a data-centric organizational model, maturing and standardizing data & analytics functions across the enterprise and outpacing industrial peers in maturity (Gartner). 80% improvement in delivery time and fostering 26% reduction in time-to-insights.
  • Created a single Data Lakehouse (Azure Databricks) to house all data across 39 business units, applying common process and data quality checks to improve accessibility and useability.
  • Led multiple teams to use the new data and technologies across functions.  Successes with Artificial Intelligence for HR, EHS Safety, and Material Forecast, reducing 14%-time lost incidents, $1M in improved productivity, and reducing licensing costs by 36%.

AFL Global | Global $2B multi-site Manufacturing, Engineering, Field Services
Duncan, South Carolina | 2018 to 2020
Interim CIO
IT Leadership over business solutions, with global team of 38 associates & 4 managers, with an annual budget of $16M. 

  • Directed EIM, ERP (Oracle EBS, SAP, and Great Plains), Microsoft Azure, custom, cloud, and on premise applications.
  • Sped up innovation and creation of business value by over 25% while maintaining seamless operations.
  • Defined, Proposed, and gained C-Suite level buy-in on 3-year strategic roadmap ; Directed global, virtual teams (US, UK, EMEA, APAC) for project delivery.
  • Enhanced value from SFDC, by saving 9% in Actual Cost per User while adding more features through negotiation with SFDC.
  • Reduced risk by identifying and replacing two high business risk systems (Australia ERP and US Quality Testing system.
  • Sourced, hired, onboarded, and developed Architecture Team to guide business through IT and business transformation.

Additional positions: Director of Business Solutions and integration (2019-2020); Director of Enterprise Architecture and integration (2018–2019)

Virtual Business Office Associates | Healthcare/Revenue Cycle
Columbia, South Carolina | 2017 to 2018
Director of Technology
Directed teams of 17 employees (Data processing and Programming) and delivering strategic changes for operations.

  • Enabled flexible IT by reducing training time 600%, from 6 months to under 1 month through the creation of a formal training program for new Data Associates (60 days).
  • Eliminated 25% of rework and client issues by enhancing communication between Technology and Operations.
  • Investigated, recommended, and gained approval for technology strategic plan expecting to reduce costs 50%, and increase revenue by 100% in 3 years. Plan included:
    • Robotic Process Automation (UIPath) – Call Center Productivity improvement of 110%.
    • Enterprise Data Services (Boomi) – Increase Data Teams productivity by 75%.
    • Visualization/Analytical tools (Tableau and Power BI) – 50% Better customer experience.

Belden Incorporated | Global $3B Manufacturing, Engineering and Cybersecurity
Indianapolis, Indiana | 2003 to 2017
Global Senior IT Manager
Delivered critical 25+ IT projects impacting overall business operations while managing technical and business support teams. Positioned across functions including Global PMO, Business Applications, and Business Intelligence. Managed technology initiatives and projects to enhance business operations.  

  • Managed all commercial and Business Intelligence tool. MS SQL, SSIS, Tableau, Salesforce, SAP, BPCS.
  • Served as IT Delivery Manager for global sales and marketing function, providing IT solutions to meet needs of business; supervised business analysts in Americas, EMEA and APAC regions.
  • Eliminated 25% of tools by transitioning to cloud-based model improving delivery time by 50%.
  • Led NA/LATAM Sales Operations Team representing $1B in revenue; streamlined quota build process by 6 weeks.
  • Coordinated IT Leadership Team, serving as a resource to CEO and presented IT projects and status quarterly; increased overall satisfaction by 10%, while slashing monthly license costs by 31% (SAP and SFDC).
  • Formed Tiger Team with global financial staff, transitioning consolidation process to platform-based in under 8 weeks.
  • Assumed stalled CRM project, replaced vendors and released on-time; increasing satisfaction with CRM from 6% to 89% using Salesforce.com.
  • Facilitated integration of underperforming IT operations of Trapeze Networks; realigned staff and authored technology roadmap, completing project in 6 weeks.
  • Slashed IT costs by 10%; Average time of completion of requests by 50% and improved internal satisfaction by 21%.
  • Proposed, presented, and secured funding, and executed on $8M of regional IT information system improvements to reduce risk, and improve value (APAC Leadership team).
  • Implemented Manufacturing Execution System and SPS across global Manufacturing footprint.

Additional positions: Senior IT Manager (2009–2012), Manager of Data warehousing (2007–2009) & Senior Systems Analyst (2003–2006).

Additional career history includes role as Advisory Engineer at IBM, Technical Coordinator at Poughkeepsie Day School, time as Founder at technology focused business including ISP provider, cybercafe, and consulting firm, and senior software engineer at Kollmorgen Corp.

 

Education

MSc, Management & Leadership | MBA, IT Management • WGU
BSc, Computer Science • Marist College

Certificates
Project Management Professional · Project Management Institute
Scrum Master Certified ·  SCRUMStudy
Six Sigma Yellow Belt · Six Sigma Study
ITIL Foundation · AXELOS
Lean Blackbelt Candidate ·  Belden

 Awards & Honors

Forbes Technology Council (2024) · Forbes
Top 100 Data & Analytics Professionals Finalist (2024) ·  OnCon
Informatica Innovation Award– Business Acceleration (2023) ·  Informatica
Senior Member (2022) ·  IEEE