Meet The Cheesecake Shop's new CIO

The new CIO is confident about hitting the ground running with his eight years of experience.

Fresh from his appointment as the new Chief Information Officer of bakery and cafe brand The Cheesecake Shop, Brad Dight is ready to leverage his more than eight years of experience in the QSR industry to bring forth the brand’s digital transformation.

In a quick Q&A with QSR Media, Brad talks about the interesting technology trends in the industry and his strategy for evolving The Cheesecake Shop’s digital initiatives.

With your diverse experience, how do you plan to leverage this in your role as Chief Information Officer at The Cheesecake Shop? 
 
Brad: I have been involved in the QSR industry for the past eight years across various franchisor operating models, and I feel this brings with it a strong understanding of the way in which a franchising business runs and operates. It’s very different to other businesses and every franchisee is an individual business owner, so in reality you can impact not only the brand itself but hundreds of single businesses. With my previous experience in this industry, I am confident of hitting the ground running and delivering a data-driven and digitally enabled business that innovates, excites and continues to be part of our customers’ special occasions, joyous moments, celebrations, milestones and of course, the every-day “just because”.

What are some interesting technology trends you have noticed in the fast-food industry and how do you plan on leveraging these trends?
 
I am seeing and have implemented a lot of trends in retail stores, QR code ordering, Kiosks, Click and Collect. One of the trends that we are looking into is around devices such as smart cameras. Leveraging such technology can assist in the speed of service, for example, how long has a customer waited in line to be served one of our delicious desserts?

The Cheesecake Shop has made commitments to embark on digital transformation. Could you provide some insights into the key areas or initiatives you envision driving this and how you plan to integrate technology into the brand's growth strategy? 
 
Firstly, our focus will be on key areas such as Unified Commerce, Data, Security and Partnerships. We have some systems and solutions across our business that have been fantastic in supporting the brand over the years but that may have certain limitations driving our digital ambition. These key areas have a strong alignment in driving the brand’s growth strategy and supporting the vision for growth at a more strategic level. Essentially, our CEO Scott Bush and the Leadership Team have ambitious growth plans, so this role and the output of the function is to build the right foundations in order to help achieve that growth.

With your extensive experience in cybersecurity, governance, and compliance, how do you plan to ensure that The Cheesecake Shop will embrace innovation? 
 
Security will be imperative to all of our systems including current, new and services we look at implementing across our brand. We are focused on a strong foundation in this space to protect our brand, franchisees and our customers and this won’t be compromised.

Can you elaborate on your strategy to enhance the retail and digital customer experience at The Cheesecake Shop, especially given the evolving expectations of customers in terms of accessibility and convenience? 
 
Driving our digital and data initiatives is going to be the key to unlocking the way our customers engage with TCS and how we engage with them. We want our customers to have a fantastic experience both (seamless, enjoyable, and stress-free) in-store and online and we will be focusing on speed of service through understanding different data sets. We have several digital initiatives in the pipeline that will focus on improving convenience and the overall customer experience.

Can you share your perspective on the role of technology in bridging the gap between traditional retail and the digital landscape?
 
Firstly, it’s critical to understand the business and what makes it tick and really lean into the current challenges and opportunities. Enable the business through fit-for-purpose technology with a strong focus on making it easy for the customer to engage as seamlessly as possible through in-store and digital experiences.