REI gets its first ever CIO
REI has grown to 140 stores in 33 states with a sizable e-commerce operation. Imagine what the company will be able to do now that it has finally named a chief information officer and gotten aggressive about recruiting technology talent.
The national outdoor specialty retailer elevated Julie Averill to the role of CIO after the 25 year technology veteran joined the company last year as senior vice president of information technology. She joined REI from Nordstrom where she served as the department store retailer’s vice president of technology.
"Over the past year and a half, Julie has effectively led investments in technology that enhance the employee experience and strengthen our service to more than 5.5 million members," said Eric Artz, REI's CFO and COO. "I'm delighted to promote Julie to serve as REI's first CIO. She hit the ground running and is leading some of our most important work streams."
Averill will focus on key technology areas aligned with the retailer’s strategy such as business intelligence, strategic merchandising, retail technology, digital experiences and IT infrastructure. According to a statement from REI, Averill’s team will be instrumental in the planned opening of REI's third distribution center in Goodyear, Arizona next year, enabling faster product replenishment and delivery to 40 of REI's 140 stores.
In addition, REI is actively recruiting technical talent to join the company’s growing IT team based in a new technology hub near Seattle scheduled to open next month.
