Ingram Micro's Step to Next Level Located Behind the Scenes

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CIO Charged With Marrying Tech Backbone, New Business Lines

Ingram Micro Inc.'s push into higher-margin business lines, namely mobility and the cloud, were spearheaded by Chief Executive Alain Monie, who took over the top post more than two years aeo.

The ultimate success of the ongoing shift lies in synchronizing technology infrastructure that crosses countries and five continents with the distribution giant's sprawling workforce that supports that network-a responsibility that falls squarely on the shoulders of new Chief Information Officer Ernie Park.

"We have an opportunity to really leverage what we have built and take it to the next level," Park said during a recent meeting at the company's Santa Ana headquarters.

Daunting Task

The company hired the 30-year industry veteran late last year to develop a global IT template for Ingram Micro, a daunting task he took on and completed in his previous role as CIO for 3M Corp.

Park laid out the blueprints for standardizing business processes and integrating complex units at the St. Paul, Minn.-based industrial products maker in an initiative that encompassed more than 75 countries.

"I was brought in to transform the IT function there," said Park, who was the first CIO 3M hired from outside the company. "I started that journey about four or five years ago, and now they're well into their transformation."

Park led a team of 2,000 employees and some 1,000 contractors at 3M, which posted $30.8 billion in sales and $4.6...