STEVE HARPER
IT Leadership Professional
Rockford,MI
Summary
Results-driven IT Leader with a human-centric approach, building and cultivating collaborative relationships within the team, within Meijer, and with strategic partners, to drive and deliver the best solutions for the business. Proven track record of aligning technology products and solutions to complement business strategies while ensuring quality and stability.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Certifications
Work History
Sr IT Director, Fresh Thyme IT
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
05.2021 - Current
- Lead IT, in total, at Fresh Thyme, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meijer
- Care for, and grow, direct and indirect team members
- Define and execute IT strategy and roadmap, aligning with business strategy
- Manage IT budget, resources, vendors, and contracts for Fresh Thyme, ensuring optimal performance, security, and compliance
- Oversee IT infrastructure, security, systems, applications, and support, covering store operations, merchandising, supply chain, finance, and HR
- Collaborate with senior leadership and business partners to understand their needs and deliver innovative IT solutions that enable growth and efficiency
- Foster culture of excellence, teamwork, and customer service within IT
IT Director, Store Team Member Experience
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
02.2019 - Current
- Support and influence IT Director team to deliver on overall IT strategy for Meijer
- Care for, and grow, direct and indirect team members
- Establish and maintain trusting and effective relationships with senior leaders, business partners, and vendor partners
- Collaborate with respective business partners to develop and execute IT strategy in alignment with business goals and priorities
- Foster culture of innovation, collaboration, and Team Member and Customer-centricity within IT and across enterprise
- Develop and manage IT budget with focus on delivering value to the business
- Oversee delivery of products and solutions for business functions, focused on use by Team Members in stores and markets, with rigor around quality and stability
- Drive continuous improvement and adoption of development, quality engineering and deployment practices.
Application Development Manager
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
04.2013 - 02.2019
- Lead and develop Team Members
- Develop strategy and direction for team to deliver value for the business
- Manage development and support expectations with Business partners
- Manage capital and expense budgets
- Manage multiple Vendor relationships
- Collaborate with other IT teams, communicating and negotiating needs to achieve goals.
Senior IT Project Lead
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
08.1999 - 04.2013
- Collaborated with Business Partners to define solutions and specific project requirements
- Managed projects through design, construction, testing, and implementation
- Managed project budget and resource requirements.
Business Process Improvement Coordinator
National City Corporation, Human Resources
05.1998 - 08.1999
Sr Business Process and Design Analyst
First of America Bank Corporation, Human Resources
08.1993 - 05.1998
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 08.1988 - 05.1992
Skills
Leadership
Collaboration
Software development
Emerging technologies
Decision-Making
Cultural Awareness
Relationship Building
Team Development
Contract Negotiation
Customer Service
Budget Administration
Strategic Planning
Coaching and Mentoring
Communications
Certification
SAFe Practitioner, SP
Organizations
- President of the Board, Pediatric Oncology Resource Team - Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
- Former National President, Phi Chi Theta Business Fraternity
Timeline
Sr IT Director, Fresh Thyme IT
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
05.2021 - Current
IT Director, Store Team Member Experience
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
02.2019 - Current
Leading SAFe Agilist, SA
10-2016
SAFe Practitioner, SP
07-2016
Application Development Manager
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
04.2013 - 02.2019
Senior IT Project Lead
Meijer, Information Technology & Services (ITS)
08.1999 - 04.2013
Business Process Improvement Coordinator
National City Corporation, Human Resources
05.1998 - 08.1999
Sr Business Process and Design Analyst
First of America Bank Corporation, Human Resources
08.1993 - 05.1998
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration
Michigan State University
08.1988 - 05.1992