Winnebago CIO Jeff Kubacki

January 28, 2019

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About the Guest

Jeff Kubacki

CIO of Winnebago

Jeff Kubacki is the CIO of Winnebago, one of the most recognized brands in the RV industry. As CIO, Jeff is focused on infusing a data-driven mindset into the company’s culture, which entails providing Winnebago executives with information they can use to make more informed decisions. Jeff has rolled out a five-part strategic plan, and he has put a key emphasis on World Class IT Principle Five, External Partnerships. Jeff is an experienced CIO, holding the position at Westinghouse Electric, ATK, Kroll, and on an interim basis at Ecolab.

Episode Overview

378: Winnebago CIO Jeff Kuback argues that a strong IT team is an essential element in all industries, even non-technical ones such as RVs and boats. In the past, the industry has been hesitant to invest in IT due to its reputation for high fixed costs, and in fact, Winnebago did not have a CIO when Mike Happe joined as CEO. However, Jeff has worked to make IT more efficient, which includes spending the appropriate amount of money on cybersecurity and moving from an on-premise data center to the cloud. We also discuss how Winnebago has gone from a traditional RV company to focusing on the outdoor lifestyle as a whole, how Winnebago has leveraged Microsoft tools, what Jeff looks for in external partners, among other topics.

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“"We put together some action plans that tied nicely back to the World Class IT Model, which is something that I have been a huge fan of dating back to 2012.""