Chris Andrews is the Chief Information Officer at Smoothie King. Immediately prior he was Vice President of Information Technology at Pei Wei Asian Diner. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas Wesleyan University as well as a Master’s in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington. Chris started his career with his family’s Dallas based IT outsourcing company before transitioning to consulting at KPMG and Grant Thornton. Since leaving consulting, Chris has held the top IT position as well as senior leadership roles with several Dallas companies. Previously at On The Border, Chris led the technology transition from Brinker International for all corporate and restaurant services. In under a year, he and his team helped transition all telecom, wide area network, point of sale software/hardware, corporate infrastructure and supporting applications. His approach included a leveraged blend of outsourcers/contractors, cloud services, in-house infrastructure and SAAS. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to work in a variety of verticals and has been exposed to a wide array of technology solutions and architecture. His work experience has included IT effectiveness reviews, security penetration testing, data warehouse design, bankruptcy turn-around and IT governance reviews. Chris has presented at MURTEC, Pervasive Software’s IntegratioNEXT 9, InnoTech Dallas as well as multiple governance/risk management/compliance presentations to students at LSU and UTA.

Ryan has nearly 30 years of Information Technology experience across a broad range of industries and disciplines with the last 12 years focused on restaurant technology. In his current role as Vice President & Chief Information Officer for Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent of 325-unit international fast casual concepts Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical, Ryan led the digital transformation of the organization at both the corporate and restaurant levels via an innovative cloud-based strategy. Previously, he served in a similar capacity with Corner Bakery Cafe following the carve-out from Brinker International, including the implementation of all new corporate and restaurant technology platforms. Prior to the restaurant industry, Ryan spent over 15 years consulting with various organizations in the financial services, healthcare and hospitality industries on matters of information security, business intelligence, infrastructure and overall technology strategy. Ryan earned his Bachelors of MIS from the University of Phoenix and his Masters of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. He is a devout hockey fan and skates as frequently as his travel schedule allows.

Lou Grande is an Information Technology Executive with over 30 years of experience in creating shareholder value and operational effectiveness through technology. He has worked for organizations of all shapes and sizes, from "mid-market" to Fortune Global 500 companies. He has broad experience in all aspects of system operations, IT governance, support services, compliance and development, and direct experience with IT strategy, project implementation, team organization and technology consulting. His industry experience includes foodservice/hospitality, retail and management consulting where Lou gained a solid reputation among colleagues, business partners and customers alike as an executive with a rare balance of strategic insight, operational expertise, technical skills, financial skills, and sales and marketing savvy. Grande holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Lou is an Advisory Council Member of FSTec, Board Chair of the International Food & Beverage Technology Association, a Board Director of SIM Central Florida, Board Treasurer of the Central Florida Tech Alliance, and a Board Member and active participant of the NRA IT Executive Study Group. He is also a five time repeat mentor for Pathbuilders’ Achieva program in Atlanta.

With more than over 20 years of hospitality and technology leadership experience, Chris Ray joined TM Restaurant Group (Taco Mac) as vice president of information technology in October 2015. Prior to joining Taco Mac, Chris served as director of retail digital, innovation and strategy for FOCUS Brands where he oversaw implementation of new technologies across numerous brands. He has also served as director of retail systems at Compass Group (Morrison Healthcare), and worked in technology with great brands such as Longhorn Steakhouse and the Capital Grille.

Brian took on the role of director of technology at Modern Market in January of 2017. Modern Market is a Denver-based brand with a focus on serving clean, healthy food across 25 locations. Brian has implemented several initiatives to prepare the company for continued growth, such as unifying the store network platform and standardizing the POS system. Prior to Modern Market, Brian served as director of technology at Matchbox Food Group, a multi-concept brand with full-service and fast-casual restaurants based in Washington, DC. While there, he helped the company expand to 3 concepts and 15 locations by implementing several technology solutions to improve operations, store management and security. Brian is a third-generation restaurateur, with his roots in operations. His first job was sorting silverware at a very young age in his family’s restaurant on Siesta Key, FL. He worked every role in both FOH and BOH before his passion for technology won out. This experience gives him a unique ability to translate technology into solutions that improve operations the food industry.

John Huddle, Director of IT for Silver Diner, has been in the Hospitality Technology profession for the past 20 years. The first 12 years he worked for a technology company supplying solutions, and the last 8 years he has been with Silver Diner on the user side. Prior to his days in technology, he worked in the restaurant industry in both the Front and Back of the House for 12 years. John’s deep breadth of experience has been invaluable in shaping his relationship with technology and approach to implementing solutions. John has his Bachelors in Natural Resources from the University of Maryland.

Gail Seanor is sr. director, marketing technology with TGI Fridays. She oversees the digital transformation of the organization including B2C site, mobile app and B2B portal. Her mission is to evolve the omnichannel digital experience for the Fridays brand. Gail’s background spans across spectrum of technology positions. She held various positions at AOL/Time Warner, led vendor collaboration model for Macy’s and built e-commerce platforms for Benchmark Brands and Verizon Wireless. Gail is a results-driven leader that leverage business approach to enterprise-wide system solutions.

Randy Vanderhoof is the Director of the U.S. Payments Forum, a non-profit independent cross-industry organization formed by the Smart Card Alliance in 2012 as the EMV Migration Forum. In August 2016, the organization expanded its charter and changed its name to the U.S. Payments Forum. The Forum has over 170 participating organizations including global payment networks, domestic payment networks, issuers, processors, merchants, government organizations, consultants, integrators, and industry suppliers focused on supporting the introduction and implementation of EMV and other new and emerging technologies that protect the security of, and enhance opportunities for payment transactions within the U.S.

Wade Allen is senior vice president and chief digital officer at Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and two virtual brands: It’s Just Wings® and Maggiano’s Italian Classics™. In this role, Wade oversees growing the company’s off-premise business and driving the digital Guest experience online through the Chili’s app, To-Go and Delivery. He works with the Chili’s CMO, George Felix; CIO, Pankaj Patra; and COO, Doug Comings to identify strategies and plans to accelerate the Chili’s off-premise business, most of which is transacted digitally. Since joining Brinker in 2014, Wade has held multiple leadership roles in technology, analytics and digital marketing. Most recently, Wade served as senior vice president of innovation, overseeing culinary innovation, engineering, strategic growth, and the development and execution of virtual brands. Prior to that, he led Chili’s to be recognized as the technology leader in the casual dining restaurant industry as vice president of digital Guest experience and analytics. He’s led the implementation and continued advancement of tabletop devices, My Chili’s Rewards, Chili’s mobile app and website, plus the capture and use of data to inform all aspects of the business. Prior to joining Brinker, Wade served as president of CouponFactory, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rockfish Interactive, where he was responsible for the company’s overall strategy, retail digital shopper marketing initiatives, new business growth and product ideation. He held positions as vice president of retail for Rockfish Interactive and as an account director/solution lead at the integrated marketing agency, RAPP, where he worked on a number of Brinker brands. Wade realizes the unique opportunity for technology to change and improve the dining and to-go Guest experience through ease and personalization. His perspective on technology and trends has been quoted in a number of credible outlets including Bloomberg, DigiDay and Forbes. He has also been published several times by Shopper Technology Institute, including the book, “The Essentials of Shopper Technology.” Wade enjoys spending time with his wife and four children. In his spare time, he enjoys reading about emerging technology, politics and history and stays active through participating in water sports, snow sports and other athletic activities. Wade serves on the digital innovation advisory council for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and is an active member of his church. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University.

Pankaj Patra is the vice president of information technology at Brinker International. Pankaj holds a bachelor degree from National Institute of Technology in Electrical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration from Cox School of Business from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Pankaj has been in the hospitality industry from the past 18 years. He started his career as a consultant in the Retail and Hospitality space consulting with Cognizant Technology Solutions. During his tenure with Cognizant his focus was Restaurant POS and Corporate Systems. He has held positions of Enterprise Architect for Brinker International, Senior Manager of Enterprise Systems of On The Border, Director for BI & Data Systems at Brinker International and Senior Director of Corporate Systems at Brinker International. In his current role he manages all aspect of IT for Brinker International. With the focus on Digital Transformation in all aspects of business he has been instrumental in launching the Ziosk program, Loyalty program, Ecommerce platform to name a few.

Gail Seanor is sr. director, marketing technology with TGI Fridays. She oversees the digital transformation of the organization including B2C site, mobile app and B2B portal. Her mission is to evolve the omnichannel digital experience for the Fridays brand. Gail’s background spans across spectrum of technology positions. She held various positions at AOL/Time Warner, led vendor collaboration model for Macy’s and built e-commerce platforms for Benchmark Brands and Verizon Wireless. Gail is a results-driven leader that leverage business approach to enterprise-wide system solutions.

Jason Scoggins is the Sr. Director of Customer Strategy for TGI Fridays where he oversees all aspects of CRM including the Fridays Rewards program. Prior to joining Fridays, Jason’s 20+ year career has focused on building brand and driving customer engagement through digital marketing efforts for both legacy brands such as JCPenney and Southwest Airlines as well as startup ecommerce companies and everything in between. Jason holds a BA in Advertising from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business.

Bio Coming Soon!

With more than 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Carlo Maritinez is the director of operations for Centura. He is an organizational builder with a strong focus in creating a high engagement, high-performance culture. He has a passion for talent development, innovation and operational excellence. In recent years, he has lead several functional areas and spearheaded strategic initiatives helping prepare La Torta for growth. Key achievements have included: • The creation of a proprietary Point-Of-Sale system and integration of inventory systems that resulted in a 2% savings in COGS and an increase in each restaurant's hourly throughput. • An organizational transformation,that has contributed to a more effective talent acquisition process and higher engagement scores. • Consolidation of La Torta’s operating model, which has increased efficiencies and customer satisfaction. • Consolidation and transformation have reduced onboarding times by as much as 65%, a key metric towards growth. He has a B.S. in business from the University of San Diego.

Zerrick Pearson is the vice president of information technology for Five Guys Enterprises, L.L.C., a company that operates more than 1420 franchised or company-operated restaurants domestically and internationally. Zerrick is responsible for developing and implementing information technology initiatives across the Enterprise. Having been born into the restaurant industry through family owned restaurants, Zerrick has been involved in restaurant operations for almost 25 years. Zerrick has recently implemented a cloud-based POS solution that allows Five Guys to leverage new and emerging technologies to drive efficiencies while focused on improving the customer experience. Prior to his time with Five Guys, Zerrick held the position of vice president of information technology with a publicly traded Washington, DC based Company. While there Zerrick managed all IT initiatives, bridging the gap between IT, finance and operations. Zerrick is a member of the IFBTA and various other industry-specific IT organizations.

MJ Worsham is the corporate IT manager for Roy Rogers Restaurants, a quick-service restaurant chain with more than 50 stores spanning the Mid-Atlantic market. In this role, MJ oversees all aspects of technology for the company ranging from new initiatives to PCI compliance to POS management. MJ has recently managed the development and launch of the Roy’s Rewards loyalty app and integration of online ordering across the enterprise. Previously, MJ held roles as a project manager for NCR and implementation specialist/corporate account manager for Oracle/micros. MJ is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and an active member of the IFBTA.

Randy Vanderhoof is the Director of the U.S. Payments Forum, a non-profit independent cross-industry organization formed by the Smart Card Alliance in 2012 as the EMV Migration Forum. In August 2016, the organization expanded its charter and changed its name to the U.S. Payments Forum. The Forum has over 170 participating organizations including global payment networks, domestic payment networks, issuers, processors, merchants, government organizations, consultants, integrators, and industry suppliers focused on supporting the introduction and implementation of EMV and other new and emerging technologies that protect the security of, and enhance opportunities for payment transactions within the U.S.

Wade Allen is senior vice president and chief digital officer at Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and two virtual brands: It’s Just Wings® and Maggiano’s Italian Classics™. In this role, Wade oversees growing the company’s off-premise business and driving the digital Guest experience online through the Chili’s app, To-Go and Delivery. He works with the Chili’s CMO, George Felix; CIO, Pankaj Patra; and COO, Doug Comings to identify strategies and plans to accelerate the Chili’s off-premise business, most of which is transacted digitally. Since joining Brinker in 2014, Wade has held multiple leadership roles in technology, analytics and digital marketing. Most recently, Wade served as senior vice president of innovation, overseeing culinary innovation, engineering, strategic growth, and the development and execution of virtual brands. Prior to that, he led Chili’s to be recognized as the technology leader in the casual dining restaurant industry as vice president of digital Guest experience and analytics. He’s led the implementation and continued advancement of tabletop devices, My Chili’s Rewards, Chili’s mobile app and website, plus the capture and use of data to inform all aspects of the business. Prior to joining Brinker, Wade served as president of CouponFactory, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rockfish Interactive, where he was responsible for the company’s overall strategy, retail digital shopper marketing initiatives, new business growth and product ideation. He held positions as vice president of retail for Rockfish Interactive and as an account director/solution lead at the integrated marketing agency, RAPP, where he worked on a number of Brinker brands. Wade realizes the unique opportunity for technology to change and improve the dining and to-go Guest experience through ease and personalization. His perspective on technology and trends has been quoted in a number of credible outlets including Bloomberg, DigiDay and Forbes. He has also been published several times by Shopper Technology Institute, including the book, “The Essentials of Shopper Technology.” Wade enjoys spending time with his wife and four children. In his spare time, he enjoys reading about emerging technology, politics and history and stays active through participating in water sports, snow sports and other athletic activities. Wade serves on the digital innovation advisory council for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and is an active member of his church. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University.

Pankaj Patra is the vice president of information technology at Brinker International. Pankaj holds a bachelor degree from National Institute of Technology in Electrical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration from Cox School of Business from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Pankaj has been in the hospitality industry from the past 18 years. He started his career as a consultant in the Retail and Hospitality space consulting with Cognizant Technology Solutions. During his tenure with Cognizant his focus was Restaurant POS and Corporate Systems. He has held positions of Enterprise Architect for Brinker International, Senior Manager of Enterprise Systems of On The Border, Director for BI & Data Systems at Brinker International and Senior Director of Corporate Systems at Brinker International. In his current role he manages all aspect of IT for Brinker International. With the focus on Digital Transformation in all aspects of business he has been instrumental in launching the Ziosk program, Loyalty program, Ecommerce platform to name a few.

Gail Seanor is sr. director, marketing technology with TGI Fridays. She oversees the digital transformation of the organization including B2C site, mobile app and B2B portal. Her mission is to evolve the omnichannel digital experience for the Fridays brand. Gail’s background spans across spectrum of technology positions. She held various positions at AOL/Time Warner, led vendor collaboration model for Macy’s and built e-commerce platforms for Benchmark Brands and Verizon Wireless. Gail is a results-driven leader that leverage business approach to enterprise-wide system solutions.

Jason Scoggins is the Sr. Director of Customer Strategy for TGI Fridays where he oversees all aspects of CRM including the Fridays Rewards program. Prior to joining Fridays, Jason’s 20+ year career has focused on building brand and driving customer engagement through digital marketing efforts for both legacy brands such as JCPenney and Southwest Airlines as well as startup ecommerce companies and everything in between. Jason holds a BA in Advertising from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business.

Chris is responsible for all Off Premises Dining activities within Bloomin’ Brands Inc., including Do-It- Ourselves (DIO) for Outback Steakhouse, Carrabbas’ Italian Grill, and Bonefish Grill, integrating with 3 rd Party delivery organizations, as well as defining, developing, and implementing smaller footprint Off Premises locations for Bloomin’ Brands. He has more than 20 years of experience in both legacy and bleeding-edge technologies and issues, including how to leverage big data, mobile architectures, customer engagement, and enterprise-scale software implementations (like SAP). I'm currently focused on customer convenience, & aligning all customer channels with a cohesive brand-relevant experience.

Tom has more than 35 years of experience in the technology field, having held technology management positions at several companies. He was most recently the chief technology officer of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., a privately held company that through its subsidiaries operates more than 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 40 countries. In this role he was responsible for providing the companies technical vision, setting the tone and direction for the company’s technologies, and aligning technology solutions with the business objectives. He also had responsibility for defining and leading an effective security and compliance program to safeguard sensitive payment and personally identifiable information. He has been recognized by CIO Magazine and the CIO Executive Council as a “Ones to Watch” Award recipient and is a frequent presenter at industry events. During his career he has completed assignments in such varied environments as banking, distribution, drugstores, call centers, and restaurants. Tom is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Veronica is a Digital Innovation Manager at Taco Bell where she is currently a key lead in the design, development, and implementation of the brand’s ecommerce platform re-launch, including ta.co, and mobile ordering apps. Veronica has nearly 20 years of experience in restaurant technology. She’s played various roles throughout the organization within IT, Operations and Ecommerce. She has worked on several programs from concept to implementation, such as Taco Bell's one system POS solution and digital gift card program. Veronica has also been at the forefront of the brand’s digital dine-in effort, having led a concept test in a “sandbox” restaurant near the company’s headquarters in Irvine, Ca., that included kiosks, a digital menu board and customer-facing queue board. These programs have helped lay the foundation for other projects currently being implemented in Taco Bell across the country. Veronica is passionate about creating experiences in and out of the restaurant, and uses her extensive technology background to develop creative solutions that help reduce pain points for customers and restaurant operators, increase productivity, and modernize the brand.

Robert Stephens stimulates a spirit of ingenuity with insights on cultivating creativity and innovation as well as how to identify and harness future disruptive trends. With $200, a bicycle and a subsequent collaboration with Best Buy, Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad, transformed the small, cryptic world of tech support into an accessible, profitable commodity. Now, he is again disrupting business models through his latest venture, Assist, which revolutionizes the way businesses across industry sectors interact with consumers. Robert takes audiences on a memorable journey as he shares his passion for entrepreneurship as well as his thought-provoking perspectives on advancing technology, effective branding, successful business strategy, and the next “big thing.” Take away proven tactics for fostering creativity and developing a culture of innovation within your organization, as he inspires you to generate fresh new ideas and originate creative solutions to succeed in any industry.

Dorothy Creamer, editor-in-chief of Hospitality Technology has been with HT for five years, starting as the publication’s managing editor. In that role, she managed daily editorial operations plus the brand’s digital channels, including its website and e-newsletters. In 2016 she was promoted to editor and now, in addition to driving HT’s editorial direction, she is responsible for the analysis and writing behind the brand’s three benchmark industry research reports. She also develops content and leads speaker recruitment efforts for HT’s three annual industry events. Creamer has been with HT’s parent company since 2009. Prior to joining HT, she led the full editorial strategy for several merchandising magazines. A publishing professional for 15+ years, Creamer started her career as an editor for a consumer publications house, where she rose through the ranks to be editor-in-chief of magazines with subjects ranging from children’s/teen entertainment, cooking, hairstyles and home décor to men's entertainment.

Skip Kimpel, Vice President of Information Technology with Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza has implemented a wide variety of technology solutions that has allowed the company to grow and compete in today’s aggressive market. Within this 65-unit organization, his responsibilities include all areas of technology not only at the store level but also within corporate departments. He views data as the number one asset that a company has at its disposal and believes they can use it in their arsenal to hone in on business strategy and solid decision making. Kimpel’s focus has always been on the area of data collection, data warehousing and all the technologies behind that, including the use and successful implementation of API integrations. Having a solid background in data and programming has given Skip a unique edge to be able to rapidly construct solutions that are both effective and cost saving. With over 20 years of experience in the technology field, prior to joining Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in the restaurant industry, Kimpel served in both the retail and medical industries. This vast array of verticals has allowed Kimpel the opportunity of having exposure to multiple areas of technology and has been able to use these experiences to cross pollinate technology solutions that are effective and very often “outside of the box.” Kimpel is a current Board Member and active participant of the NRA IT Executive Study Group.

John Miller is CEO of Cali Group, a holding company focused on using new technologies to transform the restaurant and retail industries. Cali Group owns a global QSR restaurant chain, CaliBurger, and has major equity positions in five affiliated technology companies (Super League Gaming, FunWall, Miso Robotics, PoP, and Kitchen United). Prior to founding Cali Group in 2011, John was an early employee at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NADAQ: ARWR).

Tim Young is co-founder and CEO of eatsa, where he and his team are reimagining the restaurant of the future - one that combines a magical customer experience with faster, more efficient operations. A veteran technology leader with a deep background in product and business design, Tim was named to Nation’s Restaurant News “Power List 2016” as one of the most powerful people in foodservice. Tim founded eatsa after eight years at enterprise software company Autonomy, where he led product, engineering, and technical operations and ultimately became the company’s CTO. In 2011, Autonomy was acquired by Hewlett Packard for $11 billion in one of the largest software acquisitions in history. Tim has a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from the University of California, Berkeley.

Todd Kaufman joined SSP America in 2008 and is responsible for all aspects of information technology including systems, products and platforms used by SSP America associates and restaurant guests. His overall strategy is to develop innovative, leading edge technology infrastructure that enhances the guest experience, ensures associates are positioned to work efficiently and positions SSP America as a leader in the food travel industry. Todd has led development, testing and rollout of the innovative tools such as mobile ordering, Mobile payments, pay at table, interactive touch screen menu boards and tablet and Kiosks ordering. During his tenure with SSP America Todd rolled out a single platform of MICROS POS to all locations and units. He implemented a web-based scheduling tool for all locations and employees as well as implemented a web-based dashboard and key business indicator tool and designed a point of sale system to integrate the company’s financial, human resource, time keeping and operational systems. Prior to SSP America Todd served as the senior manager for POS projects at IHOP (now Dinequity) providing technology services to more than 1,000 restaurants. During his tenure Todd implemented a wide range of technology solutions including the successful roll out of a 900+ location store reporting portal as well as return on investment, risk assessment, training plans, for the company’s “Single Point of Contact” help desk solution.

Beginning with the sale of his first commercial games at the age of 15, Jim Melvin has devoted almost 35 years to the software business. The founder of point-of-sale leader Compris, Melvin is a recognized authority and a sought-after consultant on information technologies for the food service and greater retail industries. His products have been installed at more than 125,000 sites worldwide for such corporate customers as McDonald’s, Yum! Brands, Burger King, Wendy’s, Disney, Darden Restaurants, K-Mart, Costco, FedEx, Walmart, Footlocker and many others. His consulting client list includes many of these same companies, as well as major consumer and retail technology providers. Currently, Melvin is founder and CEO of Intelligent Transactions, a technology consulting firm focused on aligning client's strategic business goals with IT and emerging technologies. Previously, he was CEO of SIVA Corporation, the developer of the first enterprise-enabled, SOA-based point-of-sale application for the food-service market. Today, the iSIVA POS is utilized chain-wide by Darden Restaurants (the largest operator of casual restaurants in the world with such concepts as Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steak, Bahama Breeze, Season's 52 and Capital Grill), Luby's Cafeteria, Fuddruckers, Legal Seafood, CoCo's, Carrows, Miller's Alehouse and many others. SIVA was acquired Iby Par Technology Corporation (NYSE: PTC) in late 2006; Melvin aided in the acquisition transition by serving as PAR’s Chief Strategy Officer during the two companies’ integration period. Prior to SIVA, Melvin was Founder, CEO and CTO of Apigent Solutions, an early application service provider that developed the first Cloud-based and SaaS-based offerings for real-time data integration and business intelligence targeted to the food service and greater retail industries. During Melvin’s tenure, YUM! Brands (A&W, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Long John Silver, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell), FedEx and Costco adopted Apigent’s middleware as a key infrastructure component for their 30,000+ corporate and franchise sites. In 2002 Melvin engineered the sale of Apigent Solutions to a joint venture backed by McDonald’s Corporation and KKR (one of the world's largest private equity firms). Melvin first focused on the information technology needs of the restaurant industry at the age of 20 when he joined with the founder of B&S Foods, the largest Wendy's franchisor at the time, to develop software that pioneered the use of PC technology for in-store and corporate level back office systems. That technology was subsequently adopted by Wendy's corporate and several other large brands. B&S went public in 1984 and was purchased by Wendy’s International 18 months later. Melvin next founded Daedalus Systems, developer of the first graphical touch screen-based point-of-sale system; the company was sold to New Jersey-based Comtrex Systems in 1986. From 1986 to 1989, Melvin served as co-founder and CTO for retail point-of-sale company Techwerks, landing accounts such as J.C. Penney's drug store group (Treasury Drugs), Rite Aid Drug, Champs Sports, Hibbett Sports and Woolworth’s specialty retail stores (Footlocker, Lady Foot-locker, After Thoughts and over 20 others). Techwerks was sold to a joint venture backed by Unisys in 1989. At the urging of IBM and Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's, Melvin founded Compris Technology in late 1989. Acting as CEO and CTO, Melvin joined forces with IBM, who also provided venture funding for Compris, to create both the first commercial IBM touch screen POS units and the first IBM handheld POS units. An entire generation of open platform touch POS hardware offerings from dozens of major hardware vendors followed - the majority of POS hardware sold into the world-wide food service sector during the 1990s and early 2000s was sold running Compris. Compris was sold to NCR in 1997 and remains one of the most widely installed POS systems for large food service enterprise clients throughout the world. In addition to his work with Intelligent Transactions, Melvin currently works with several large food service brands exploring emerging payment alternatives and has founded the Food Service Educational Alliance (www.fseducationalliance) to explore affordable educational opportunities for the 13 million low wage workers in the food service industry. Melvin has also served as an expert witness and adviser on retail business technology issues to:  a U.S. congressional subcommittee  the Food and Drug Administration  a U.S. District Court in a large retail petroleum class action  several large Wall street investment groups  several large consumer technology companies (such as Google, Amazon and Paypal)

Alex Birnbaum is a results-focused technology consultant who provides CIO and IT advisory services to hospitality and healthcare companies. His expertise includes strategic planning, architecture, business process engineering, IT governance structures and operational systems efficiency improvements. From 2010 to 2014, Alex led the information technology department for Craftworks Restaurants and Breweries Group, where he transformed IT from a back-office function to a strategic partner with operations and marketing during the merger of Rock Bottom Restaurants and Gordon Biersch Restaurants. Prior to the merger, he was senior director of IT for Gordon Biersch from 2000 to 2010. Since then, Alex has been helping numerous companies address a range of IT-related issues in such areas as system selection, strategic analysis, project management, digital initiatives, ERP systems and vendor management. With roots in operations, Alex is committed to finding low-cost, high impact technology and process changes that boost efficiency and profitability.

Seth Robinson is the senior director of technology analysis for CompTIA, the leading trade association for the IT industry. In this role, he analyzes technology trends in the IT industry and provides insight into trend drivers and future direction. Seth has led research studies on cloud computing, mobility, Big Data, and IT security, among other areas. Previously, he spent 10 years in processor development at IBM, building the chips for the Xbox360, PS3, and Wii U. He has been cited in various media outlets, including Wall Street Journal and USA Today, for his thoughts on how businesses are using technology and how the role of IT is changing.

Dr. Daniel Connolly is dean of the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and a recognized global thought leader in the area of hospitality information technology. His teaching, research, and consulting interests focus on the strategic application of information technology and electronic commerce for business advantage. He frequently presents his work at academic and industry conferences around the world and has authored or co-authored numerous publications. His book Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry (now in its second edition) is the industry’s first book on technology strategy. Prior to joining Drake, Daniel served as dean of the School of Business Administration at Portland State University and on the faculties of several major universities including the University of Denver, Michigan State University, and Virginia Tech, where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in information technology, strategic management, finance, and hospitality administration. Before joining academia, Daniel spent nearly 8 years working at Marriott International’s corporate headquarters as an information systems analyst. In addition, he has consulted with numerous organizations in the hospitality, health care and technology sectors, and has more than 10 years of experience in hotel and restaurant operations.

Dorothy Creamer, editor-in-chief of Hospitality Technology has been with HT for five years, starting as the publication’s managing editor. In that role, she managed daily editorial operations plus the brand’s digital channels, including its website and e-newsletters. In 2016 she was promoted to editor and now, in addition to driving HT’s editorial direction, she is responsible for the analysis and writing behind the brand’s three benchmark industry research reports. She also develops content and leads speaker recruitment efforts for HT’s three annual industry events. Creamer has been with HT’s parent company since 2009. Prior to joining HT, she led the full editorial strategy for several merchandising magazines. A publishing professional for 15+ years, Creamer started her career as an editor for a consumer publications house, where she rose through the ranks to be editor-in-chief of magazines with subjects ranging from children’s/teen entertainment, cooking, hairstyles and home décor to men's entertainment.

Brian took on the role of director of technology at Modern Market in January of 2017. Modern Market is a Denver-based brand with a focus on serving clean, healthy food across 25 locations. Brian has implemented several initiatives to prepare the company for continued growth, such as unifying the store network platform and standardizing the POS system. Prior to Modern Market, Brian served as director of technology at Matchbox Food Group, a multi-concept brand with full-service and fast-casual restaurants based in Washington, DC. While there, he helped the company expand to 3 concepts and 15 locations by implementing several technology solutions to improve operations, store management and security. Brian is a third-generation restaurateur, with his roots in operations. His first job was sorting silverware at a very young age in his family’s restaurant on Siesta Key, FL. He worked every role in both FOH and BOH before his passion for technology won out. This experience gives him a unique ability to translate technology into solutions that improve operations the food industry.

Over the past 3 years, Scott has led a comprehensive digital transformation for Craftworks and its craft beer focused brands. With unique loyalty programs at the core of heavy guest engagement, modernizing the loyalty platforms to work seamlessly with a new suite of technology including modern websites, online ordering, tabletop tablets and more, new partners and platforms with modern architectures and open API’s have been a key focus to help enable digital transformation. Scott developed and implemented a strategy to migrate outdated infrastructure securely to the cloud to accelerate innovation efforts and self-fund these and other initiatives like the recent conversion to Mobile POS. Prior to Craftworks, Scott was responsible for technology at Vail Resorts. There, he led the replacement of the POS platform and implementation of CRM for the retail division which operates 200 retail and rental locations across the US, and led the big data and innovation efforts for the company. Scott has a deep technology background as the co-founder of Active.com, and has led technology innovation for other companies such as Trustile Doors, now owned by Marvin. Outside of work, Scott enjoys kayaking, biking and spending time with his family in Boulder, CO.

As senior vice president of loyalty and chief experience officer of Caesars Entertainment, Michael Marino leads the company’s Total Rewards loyalty program of 55 million members, as well as the brand, media and all guest communication channels. Marino also manages Caesars Entertainment’s digital business including Caesars.com, the company’s mobile app Play by TR and marketing technology including mobile ordering and Ivy. Marino’s previous roles within Caesars Entertainment include Chief of Staff to the Chairman, President and CEO, as well as Director of Marketing Analytics.

Steve Smyth is the senior restaurant technology manager at Taco John’s International, a quick service restaurant chain with over 390 locations nationwide. He is responsible for all development and implementation of technology in the restaurants including a recently launched tablet based POS system and integrated loyalty program. Steve has been in the quick service restaurant industry for over 25 years holding many different positions throughout that time. Before moving over to Technology, he was in Operations as the Division Manager overseeing Taco John’s company restaurant division. This experience gives him a well-rounded perspective when looking at implementing new ideas and technology being used in the restaurants.

Karen Bird, Chief Information Officer for Hooters of America is accountable for the strategy and execution of technology systems and services for multiple functional areas within the company. She has responsibilities for both corporate and franchised departments within the overall organization. Karen joined the Hooters of America executive team in July, 2017. From late 2011 through July, 2017, Karen served as the Vice President, Information Technology for Buffalo Wild Wings. In this role, Karen was responsible for establishing the technology architecture and framework that delivered all core business information to the Buffalo Wild Wings Enterprise. She was instrumental in the development of the strategic plan that delivered a unified technology platform for over 1200 company-owned and franchised restaurants and the delivery of an enterprise service platform for the automation of data integrations. Prior to joining Buffalo Wild Wings, she served as the technology executive for a number of casual dine and quick service restaurant chains. Her prior history includes; CIO for Whataburger Restaurants, VP of Restaurant Information Solutions for Brinker International, Vice President of Business Systems for Advantica Restaurant Group, and Director of Retail Technology Solutions for Dunkin Brands. Karen started her career as a restaurant-level employee at Burger King. After two years in restaurant operations there, she moved into store accounting services and ultimately into various roles within the Information Systems department that helped build her technology expertise.

Maryann has spent 20 years leading restaurant and retail transformation initiatives at corporations such as Potbelly, OfficeMax and Sears. She is part of the executive team at Potbelly and leads the IT department through growth, and many digital and customer experience innovative initiatives. She has partnered with many industry solution providers such as NCR, LevelUp & GrubHub to deliver seamless experiences. Her strong in depth knowledge of restaurant technology, retail, marketing, merchandising and technology integrations allowed her to drive many challenging cross-functional customer facing solutions. Prior to Potbelly, she held many leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies including, POS implementations at Sears, merchandising transformations at OfficeMax and merger integrations between OfficeMax and Office Depot. Maryann holds a BS in Computer Science, MBA in Information Management & Marketing and more recently executive certificates in M&A and Finance from Booth School of Business.

Doug Cook is vice president of brand technology for the Oklahoma City-based national headquarters of SONIC®, America’s Drive-In®. In his role, Cook oversees all technology for the brand and is key in ensuring that SONIC’s business strategy and relevant trends are expressed in its enterprise processes and systems. Cook has worked at SONIC in various technology leadership roles since 1999. Prior to his current role, Cook served as vice president and chief architect and was responsible for leading the architecture of SONIC’s technology foundation, including POPS, POS, ERP, Data and initiatives associated with these business technology areas. Cook holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in enterprise architecture from Penn State University.

Sherif Mityas is the Chief Information Officer and VP Strategy & Brand Initiatives for TGI FRIDAYS responsible for the Brand’s global Strategy, Digital and Technology efforts. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the retail and hospitality industries in both senior consulting and executive industry roles. Prior to joining TGI FRIDAYS, Sherif served as the managing partner for JS Consulting and as the chief executive officer for Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery. Mr. Mityas received a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Boston University, a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Dorothy Creamer, editor-in-chief of Hospitality Technology has been with HT for five years, starting as the publication’s managing editor. In that role, she managed daily editorial operations plus the brand’s digital channels, including its website and e-newsletters. In 2016 she was promoted to editor and now, in addition to driving HT’s editorial direction, she is responsible for the analysis and writing behind the brand’s three benchmark industry research reports. She also develops content and leads speaker recruitment efforts for HT’s three annual industry events. Creamer has been with HT’s parent company since 2009. Prior to joining HT, she led the full editorial strategy for several merchandising magazines. A publishing professional for 15+ years, Creamer started her career as an editor for a consumer publications house, where she rose through the ranks to be editor-in-chief of magazines with subjects ranging from children’s/teen entertainment, cooking, hairstyles and home décor to men's entertainment.

Nikki Barua is a change agent with a big mission: To be a catalyst that unlocks the potential in a billion people through ideas, inspiration and tools for transformation. She is leading a movement to empower people and organizations to thrive amidst disruption. Nikki founded BeyondCurious in 2011 to help large companies innovate like startups. Since then, the award-winning digital accelerator has created massive impact by guiding leading brands in achieving their digital transformation goals. Nikki is the Global Ambassador and Co-Author of the book – Innovating Women: Past, Present & Future – supporting women’s participation in Innovation, Science and Technology and their impact in the innovation economy. Recognized as a role model across diverse communities, Nikki is actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through diversity-focused organizations such as WBENC, NMSDC, NGLCC and ABA. In addition to being a guest lecturer at UCLA and USC, she has been instrumental in supporting incubators developing technology products for healthcare and education. Nikki was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by ACE in 2014, Top Woman Entrepreneur in North America by Ernst & Young in 2015, LA Woman of Influence by The Business Journals in 2016, and Women of Entrepreneurship by LA Lakers and Comerica Bank in 2017. Her inspiring story of overcoming personal adversity and dreaming big has been featured in publications such as Fortune, Forbes, Fox, and CNBC. Recognized for her success as an immigrant, minority, woman entrepreneur, Nikki is a fierce advocate for diversity as the fuel for innovation.