Hibbett Sports

Ronald Blahnik is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Hibbett Sports since joining the team in 2016. He is responsible for all things related to Information Technology including; Enterprise PMO, Business Solutions, Solutions Delivery, Infrastructure and Operations, Security, Quality Assurance and IT Compliance. He is also responsible for Corporate Strategy, Innovation and Retail Analytics. Prior to joining Hibbett, Blahnik had an IT consulting business, been SVP and CIO for Hudson's Bay Company and VP Information Technology Architecture & Infrastructure Services for Lowe's. Raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Blahnik studied Computer Science earning a degree in Information Systems. He is a veteran of the United States Army having served for more than 20 years both active and reserve.

What are some of the challenges impacting BYOD space?

Today, security is one of the biggest challenges for every industry. In order to address this issue, we are investing heavily in tools and technology that will assist us in protecting our associates. Furthermore, the rate at which technology is evolving and the increasing dominance of variants such as Android and IOS is always a challenge. Therefore, we have established an adaptation standard that imposes some constraints.

What are some of the trends impacting BYOD space?

Everything in BYOD space is unlimited and is getting better and better every day. But trying to bring that into our stores to make sure that customers and associates, when they walk through our door, can enjoy a similar experience than they would in their own home is certainly a challenge, but it is also the trend. For example, If you think about the digital experience that you have today with your favorite shopping applications and want to go inside the store and have the same sort of experience, we'll find almost any shop battling with that. Doing that, we're gravitating towards it and are doubling down on a digital experience that empowers the associate well as the customer inside the store with the added features of being able to touch it and try it on and be coached and communicated with by someone who's very knowledgeable in the product, as opposed to just looking at product pages and trying to envision it on yourself actually being able to do that right there in the store.

Today, security is one of the biggest challenges for every industry. In order to address this issue, we are investing heavily in tools and technology that will assist us in protecting our associates 

What are some of the factors that are important for a company to stay ahead of the competition?

We shouldn't be afraid of the future and should instead make an effort to welcome it with open arms. It's important to listen to our coworkers and make it our mission to improve their productivity and help them to have more control over their work. Moreover, we should make an attempt to provide the capability and desire that they need and check out how to bring that to life across the entire platform.

How do you envision the future of the space?

BYOD is not a new concept in the market. It is already well-developed. However, the area where it is evolving is in the variety of devices and platforms on which it can be made available. Metaverse has influenced the evolution of BYOD; for example, rather than relying on cash, we use Android devices that connect to our network and are fully loaded with the apps they need to do their job. Moving forward, I believe BYOD will be all about giving associates the freedom to grow and be themselves while also succeeding in any environment.

What is your piece of advice for budding professionals in the field?

We need to have a curiosity to learn new things and have an awareness of the new things that are entering the market through continuous research. It is also important to keep an eye on the startups, as this is where a lot of innovation is taking place and attempt to get professionally and socially connected and be engaged. This will help be in a better position to discover new opportunities for our future.