Dive Brief:
- Ocean Spray is launching a technology transformation plan targeting its core business processes, according to Chief Digital and Technology Officer Jamie Head.
- “We are opening a number of roles that will be part of this exciting team,” Head said in a LinkedIn post Thursday. The co-op is looking to add functional architects as part of the initiative, called xELERATE, according to job postings. These new hires will become functional leads within the technology department post-transformation.
- In preparation for the transformation project, Head has leaned on insights from peers, CIOs and practitioners, according to his post. Ocean Spray declined to provide additional details about the strategy in an email to CIO Dive.
Dive Insight:
Head joined Ocean Spray in 2018 as CIO before transitioning to his current role as chief digital and technology officer in 2019. Under his leadership, the co-op has migrated workloads to the cloud and made efforts to move IT out of the back office.
Following that lead, the xELERATE initiative will impact areas beyond IT.
Ocean Spray uses technology for a wide range of tasks. The co-op partnered with AI startup Canomiks to use the platform to test and certify the biological efficacy of cranberries last February. Internally, Ocean Spray leverages technology throughout its supply chain, finance, payment processing and other departments.
The co-op also appointed Chris Domey as VP program lead for the xELERATE initiative, Domey announced via LinkedIn last week. Domey formerly held the position of director of customer operations and logistics.
