TORONTO, Nov. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX:CTC, TSX:CTC.a) ("CTC") congratulates Eugene Roman, Chief Technology Officer, on being named the 2015 Private Sector CIO of the Year. The award is presented annually by Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), Canadian CIO Magazine and the Canadian CIO Association and recognizes the quality, insight, direction and leadership of Canada's senior technology executives.
"Canadian Tire has embarked on a mission to reinvent itself, to transform one of Canada's iconic retailers into the most innovative retailer in the world. We are implementing world-class technology and we need to think big," said Michael Medline, President and CEO, Canadian Tire Corporation. "Eugene is the key architect of this monumental shift and has completely reimagined what technology means to our business. He embodies the new world of retail in his leadership on innovation, brand and digital in a customer-centric manner. With Eugene at the helm of our technology team, we will continue to bring remarkable innovation to the market."
When Eugene Roman joined the organization in 2012, his top priorities were to address the Company's aging technology infrastructure and, as part of its enterprise-wide digital strategy, help turn Canadian Tire into a world-class digital retailer.
Eugene quickly built a team of digital experts and under his leadership, CTC has overhauled its internal technology infrastructure and created the digital infrastructure needed to grow the brand:
- Eugene led CTC in becoming the first retail partner at the Communitech Hub, a digital development lab in Kitchener-Waterloo, and subsequently opened the nearby Digital Garage to allow CTC's top digital innovators to develop new in-store and online technologies at a faster pace. CTC's third innovation lab, Cloud Nine Digital Innovation Centre in Winnipeg, houses a state-of-the-art data centre, digital content warehouse, app factory and advanced on-demand cloud computing centre.
- The teams working in Canadian Tire's solution labs are responsible for many of the in-store and online technologies that customers are enjoying today, such as "Canada's Backyard and Patio Builder," an interactive tool available in the Canadian Tire Showcase Store in South Edmonton Commons. Eugene also oversaw the digital evolution of the Company's iconic 'money' with the introduction of the digital rewards program – My Canadian Tire 'Money'™ – and, most recently, Eugene's team helped guide the development of Canadian Tire's mPay & Play™ app.
The many accomplishments of Eugene and the team have not gone unnoticed. In 2013, Marketing Magazine named CTC Marketer of the Year and referred to the Company's retail experience as a 'digital powerhouse'. In 2015, CTC was awarded an IABC Gold Quill Award while the digital innovation in the Sport Chek West Edmonton Mall Flagship Store captured an Excellence in Retailing Award. Eugene has also received the Info-Tech Thought Leader Award for his invaluable insights and contributions to the Info-Tech Research Group.
"A great CIO has a diverse network outside the organization, a future-facing and innovative grasp of the rapidly changing world of technology, and an ability to identify those new capabilities that are most relevant to the enterprise," said Ronan McGrath, Past Chair of ITAC. "Eugene Roman has all of these attributes. He elevates the game."
Recipients of the CIO of the Year award go above and beyond the role of a technology leader and help to define the future of an enterprise. They power a business with executable, predictable and cost-effective technology support.
For more information on CTC's digital journey, visit: https://youtu.be/ozcTLvx9kFs
About Canadian Tire Corporation
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX:CTC.A) (TSX:CTC) or "CTC," is a family of businesses that includes a retail segment, a financial services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal categories. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The retail segment also includes Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere), which offers the best active wear brands. The 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division and the tens of thousands of people employed across the Company. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.
SOURCE CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED
