Professional Profile

Rob Tabb’s career spans more than thirty-five years in technology.  Approximately twenty of those years were spent in the role of CIO at Ryder, Nike, and Ecolab, all global Fortune 500 companies.  During this time, he served on the executive committee of those companies in addition to his role as function head for technology.  In his role as CIO Mr. Tabb was an engaged IT leader for more than 30 acquisition transactions amounting to approximately $6 billion in revenue as well as a number of divestitures.  From an industry and function standpoint, he has extensive experience in retail, consumer products, manufacturing, and logistics.  Most recently he was Managing Director for IT Strategy and Transformation at Accenture.  Sample clients include numerous retail and consumer products companies including, Michelin, Crocs Shoes, 3M, Kellogg’s, Caterpillar, LandsEnd, and 3G Capital in support of the Heinz acquisition.

EXPERIENCE

A seasoned business and technology executive with more than 20 years’ experience as a C-suite officer and executive committee member of Fortune 500 companies. Thru experience gained in executive roles in consulting, business P&L responsibility, and as a global corporate officer, Rob has developed and demonstrated leadership in several areas that are critical to many of today’s BODs including:

Strategy and Organizational Transformation:  Managing Director for Strategy and Org. Transformation at Accenture.  Key corporate officer participant on strategy teams for three Fortune 500 companies. Drove several lean sigma and business process re-engineering initiatives for business and functional transformation. Participated in numerous M&A actions the largest being a $4 billion acquisition.

Technology Expertise:  As a CIO developed expertise in most aspects of technology and its application to business needs including, business digitalization, mobile technology, the web, and social, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

Globalization and International:  Provided leadership as part of the executive team for many strategic initiatives around globalization and pan region restructuring, ERP and mobile systems global deployments, offshoring and shared service implementations, etc. Direct budget and executive management responsibility for a large global function with significant teams based in NA, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM

Business Acumen and Management Expertise:  Significant functional knowledge in retail and logistics with solid foundational knowledge in finance and accounting ( CPA non-practicing, CMA ).  Direct management responsibility for 600 FTEs plus approximately 300 contractors and $265m in annual spend ( excluding enterprise initiative investments )

BOD Experience: Frequent interchange and presentations to boards of four Fortune 500 companies. Ex-Chair and long-term executive committee member of the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) . Board member of CNF Service Co., which provided administrative, HR, and technology services to several billion-dollar operating companies in the transportation and logistics arena. Past BOD member of the Guthrie Theater a high-profile nonprofit in Minneapolis.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

President-Information Technology Advisory Services LLC: Provide senior level consulting services to both business and IT executives in areas of strategy, function improvement, technology due diligence, etc.

Managing Director- Accenture: Responsible for practice development and execution in areas of IT Strategy and Transformation.  Clients included Kellogg, LandsEnd, 3G Capital, 3M , Michelin Tire,  Crocs

CIO- Ecolab Inc. Global responsibility for IT at Ecolab, a $14b leader in water, hygiene, and energy technology services. This was transformational role which included re-engineering the IT function and  game-changing deployments in areas such as global ERP , e-commerce, shared services, mobile technology, and cross-divisional sales and service support

CIO- Nike Inc. Responsible for global IT with personnel based on four continents.  Example programs include $600 million dollar rollout of ERP, new in-store retail systems, PLM deployment, Nike e-commerce, and brand mgt. support.

Prior Roles: CIO CNF Transportation, CIO Ryder Systems, Dun & Bradstreet Software- various roles culminating in Line of Business Officer position,  Andersen Consulting.

EDUCATION/ REGISTRATIONS / CERTIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Science, Washington and Lee University (73)
MBA, Tulane University (75)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) ( non-practicing )
Certified Managerial Accountant (CMA)
Certified by the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS)
National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)

RELEVANT BOARD / ADVISORY EXPERIENCE

CNF Services Inc. ( past member )
Minnesota High Technology Association (MHTA)
Guthrie Theater  ( past member )
Violin Memory Data Storage ( Advisory Board )