SPAR Group appoints chief information officer
SPAR Group, a leading supplier of retail merchandising and other marketing services throughout the United States and internationally, has appointed Panos Mastrogiannis as chief information officer and executive officer.
The company also provided shareholders with an update on its technological advances.
"Panos has and continues to play an instrumental role in the advancement of our technology platforms. Throughout the years as our company has expanded, Panos and his team have found innovative ways to seamlessly onboard new customers, new services and new international partners, all while keeping us on the leading edge of technology,” said president and CEO Jill Blanchard. “One of our strongest competitive advantages is our ability to deliver universal multilingual applications that reflect our global customers' needs and ultimately deliver a better and sometimes custom product worldwide. In addition to leading our efforts as chief information officer, Panos is an instrumental part of our executive team. He is responsible for the development and administration of the IT operating budgets, capital expenditures, compliance with Sarbanes Oxley, and providing overall guidance on the strategic plan while remaining focused on developing next generation solutions even before our clients request them."
Mastrogiannis has been with SPAR since 1998, starting off as a software developer and playing various roles throughout the years outside of IT including managing research, field and client service personnel. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and an MBA in information systems and currently serves as an adjunct instructor teaching technology and business courses at the college level since 2005. Mastrogiannis has been a guest speaker at World Alliance for Retail Excellence & Standards (formerly National Association of Retail & Merchandising Services) and holds several certifications in RFID and SQL.
"Since beginning my career with SPAR Group in 1998, technology within the industry has dramatically evolved,” added Mastrogiannis. “Today we manage more than 170 applications in our custom Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. We are currently researching and testing new technologies such as real-time hardware independent chat features with our in-store merchandisers, wearable mobile devices, and voice-enabled smartphone and tablet applications. Mobility is the future, and we have already established our presence in it. Today we manage thousands of handheld computers along with smartphones and tablets to collect vast amounts of real-time data including pictures, out of stocks, voids, and returns. SPAR Group services provide turnkey global technology solutions that optimize the efficiency and reliability of the sales and merchandising industry worldwide."