Darin Morrow has over 40 years’ experience leading, innovating, and transforming business and technology. He is currently the Chief Transformation Officer at The HoneyBaked Ham Company. He served over 28 years in the US Air Force (active and reserves) in technology and leadership roles. Simultaneously, Darin also served 22 years at AT&T building high volume complex systems across several businesses including sales, order, digital, provisioning, and financial services. He led M&A integrations, built a startup wireless company, led technology strategy, and served as VP/CIO at Cricket Wireless. He also is a professor at Kennesaw State University.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Darin shared his professional trajectory, insights on the latest FMCG industry trends to watch out for, significant career milestones, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Darin. Could you share your journey to becoming an expert in your current position?
As the Chief Transformation Officer, my role spans both technology and business. My work experience and leadership roles in the US Air Force and AT&T were critical in preparing me for this role. Leading multiple programs and projects across the end to end of the business and technical systems helped me comprehend complexities, set a direction and plan, remove roadblocks, and deliver innovation to enable the business. Building complex and high-volume systems from long distance, television, and wireless businesses, as well as building Cricket Wireless from the ground up provided many challenges and opportunities to work across the business and technology spectrum. My experience in previous roles covered, sales, ordering, billing, finance, supply chain, compensation, digital services, and network provisioning. You might say that “the breadth and depth of my experience” allows me to innovate with the business while building resilient and secure technology platforms
What do you love the most about your current role?
There are several things that I enjoy. Working with a brand and a product that is well known and being involved with every part of our business, technology and security efforts are probably the two that I enjoy most. My energy comes from helping people and the business solve problems. I enjoy providing the solutions and technology that truly enable the business. Bringing the future to the business processes and delivering the new technology platforms is satisfying. Bottom line-solving problems and moving the company towards the future is what I love most and that’s what I get to do every day!
What are the most significant challenges you face in driving transformation in a traditional industry, and how do you overcome them?
Transformation always has its challenges and the cliché of it encompassing people, process, and technology is absolutely true. But, if I were to create a list of actions, I’d say the following is a good list.
Define clear strategies, roadmaps, and build out a plan. You must define what transformation means and set the priorities. Avoid analysis paralysis as the strategy, roadmap and plan will evolve and remember that perfection can be the enemy of good.
Don’t under estimate change management. When you come into any business that is steeped in tradition, you need to first seek to understand and appreciate that history before you start proposing changes. Leading people through change can be the hardest part of the people, process, and technology triad.
Execute, deliver and adjust. In other words, set the first set of priorities and deliver. Then learn and adjust your plan and priorities as you go. Quick wins are always good, but you can’t just focus on quick wins. You have to deliver on the larger initiatives as well. That takes good planning and good partners.
and how do you embody those qualities?
That’s a great question. From my experience these come to mind
Transformation starts with communicating and helping everyone understand the vision and strategy at every level; not just at the top. I work closely with the business and technology teams from the C-Suite to individual contributors. My team and I work to lay out what we need to do across all our teams to successfully transform the company I pride myself in working with teams to comprehend and communicate. When both the business and technology teams know the strategy, can see the vision, can review the plan, and begin to really work together then success will follow Be transparent with what you know, what you don’t, and why the plan and change is happening. I work hard at keeping it real. I don’t pretend the journey we are on is easy and that all will be perfect. I work with the teams to see the steady progress that we are making
People may not list this one, but I had someone use the word approachable. Recently, an senior individual contributor simply told me that the fact that I valued their input and I was willing to take time to listen was what made them get on board with the changes. So be approachable!
All these together in the end will build trust and unite the effort.
What are your thoughts on the latest trends, such as sustainability, digitalization, and changing consumer behaviors in the FMCG industry?
Consumers are changing so do your homework and do it often. You have to understand customer segmentation, customer journeys, pain points, etc. Today’s consumers not only expect but demand to engage you digitally first and if possible it’s the only way they want to engage your company. They also want choices. They want to engage you when they want to and how they want to – you have to be ready for that. They want new products and familiar favorites.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
There are several people that help shape me, teach me, and grow me. Limiting that to one person would be difficult so I’ll mention a few: Paige Beckum, James McGlennon, Kate Hopkins, Jennifer Tilson, Melissa Arnoldi and Pam Parisian all significantly influenced and invested in me at AT&T. On the Air Force side, General James Mungenast taught me to lead by example. Really everyone that I’ve worked with and for has taught me something and helped mold me.
What does the term “authentic leadership” mean to you?
Be real and be transparent. I am a pretty direct individual. I am exactly what you see. I work to be clear and communicate the journey we are on. I travel that road with all those involved in what we are trying to accomplish. I care about the outcomes and the people who bring those outcomes to life. I don’t ask people to do things I haven’t done before, and I understand the work they will need to do for us to be successful. I try to help them identify and hopefully remove and challenges or roadblocks.
What has been your most career-defining moment that you are proud of?
Over 40 years there are a few. The most defining would be building a wireless startup within AT&T called Aio Wireless (now Cricket Wireless). We started from the ground up and launched it within a years’ time. After departing, I returned as it’s CIO. To see it start from no customers to millions of customers and learning so much during that process is something that was definitely a defining moment. When you poor your heart into the people you work with to build something new against the odds, that’s the best moment.
What are some of your passions outside of work?
My passions are related to serving others and serving my family well. I enjoy teaching and coordinating the internship program at Kennesaw State University’s College of Computing and Software Engineering. I really enjoy shaping the future minds of our technology and cybersecurity students and connecting academics to industry.
What do you like to do in your time off?
Spend time with my family more than anything. I have a few small hobbies like hiking and pickle ball, but nothing delights me more than being with my family. Spending time with my grown children and my grandchildren that’s the best use of my time off.
What is your biggest goal?
Right now, it’s to complete the transformation here at The HoneyBaked Ham Company. To help this fabulous tradition to innovate and grow so it is prepared for a new generation of customers that can enjoy the delicious, premium, quality products that this family has produced for so many decades.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
To be honest, retired from the day to day company leadership role, but still learning, teaching, sharing, and shaping the next generation…still leading.
What advice would you give to aspiring transformation leaders in your industry?
Listen, seek to understand, learn as much as you can, and stay current on the business and technology forefronts. Also know what problem you’re trying to solve, establish a plan but adapt, and stay focused. As a leader, you have to see the path forward; anticipate obstacles, and be ready with options. In addition, I’d say be transparent, set real expectations, look for quick wins, but not at the expense of the greater goal. Last, or maybe first, say thank you. As a leader have a vision, set a course, create plans, and hold people accountable, but say thank you for efforts and accomplishments of those who take the journey with you!