Dick’s Sporting Goods CTO Vlad Rak on Inward and Outward Facing Strategies

February 14, 2022

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About the Guest

Vlad Rak

EVP & Chief Technology Officer of Dick's Sporting Goods

Vlad Rak is the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of DICK'S Sporting Goods. A greater than $10 billion revenue retailer of sports apparel. Vlad is a former athlete, having been an Olympic soccer player in years past. In addition to his focus on technology, he brings an experiential aspect to his leadership at DICK'S Sporting Goods. He's a former Chief Technology Officer of Merck and has held leadership roles at Nike, the Walt Disney Company, and Wyndham Worldwide among other roles he's played.

Episode Overview

637: Vlad covers the athlete and teammate-centered strategy at the company. Vlad begins with an explanation of his purview as CTO of the sports retailer and provides background on the company’s strategy focusing on the distinction between the inward and outward-facing aspects. He describes the ways his experience as a professional athlete has shaped his perspective in his role, weaved the teammate mentality into the DNA of the organization, and influenced the way he focuses on the customer and employee experience. Finally, Vlad talks about how he curates his unique ecosystem of experts to improve the athlete experience and the trends in technology that will continue to evolve the sports industry.

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