MURTEC: Does Your Company Manage Big Data Effectively?
Data: everyone’s got it, but not everyone knows what to do with it. In a MURTEC University session titled, "Designing for Data Analytics: From Data Lakes to Data Warehouses," two executives from Focus Brands will help attendees devise their own game plan for structuring and building out a data/analytics team.
Michael Verdesca EVP & CIO of Focus Brands will share insights into his team’s success with leveraging data and analytics to drive incredible company growth. Joined by Stevie Liang, Vice President – Digital Engineering & Services, these executives will also discuss the differences and importance of both data lakes (uncurated data) and data warehouses and how the two are complementary. Attendees will learn the vital steps they must take to structure their own organization’s data and what results they can expect.
Verdesca, with more than 20 years of technology leadership experience, joined FOCUS Brands in April 2014. Prior to joining FOCUS Brands, he served as chief information officer for Jack in the Box Inc. where he oversaw all technology, program management and strategic alignment for both the Jack in the Box and Qdoba Mexican Grill Brands. He also has a breadth of retail and e-commerce experience from his time at Longs Drug Stores, MoËt Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Williams-Sonoma Inc, and Harry and David Inc. Verdesca grew up in food service and managed food service outlets for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.
Liang joined Focus Brands in January 2015 and is responsible for digital experience, platform, and data engineering & services across six restaurant/snack domestic and international brands. Some of Liang's accomplishments while at Focus Brands include: implementing SITECORE Experience Platform for Web CMS and Contextual Marketing to drive top line sales; implementing first self-service business intelligence dashboards, enterprise data warehouse, and big data platform on Microsoft Azure, PowerBI, HDInsight, & SQL Server which transformed business processes with actionable insights; negotiating new digital partnerships while consolidating digital platforms which resulted in more than 35 percent annual cost savings across brands; implementing next generation loyalty mobile app for restaurant marketing group resulting in increased sales traffic and spend; and implementing a social media hub for monitoring, analytics, publishing, and engagement resulting in more than 200 percent ROI in media buy. Prior to Focus Brands Liang worked for Jack in the Box, Mitchell International and Stellcom Technologies.
Now in its 22nd year, the Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC) produced by Hospitality Technology, has become the “Gold Standard” event for education and networking in the restaurant technology industry. Hosting 700+ restaurant technology executives and solution providers, the event has grown every year to expand on all fronts – more technology, more education, more networking – all while still maintaining an exclusivity and intimacy that fosters invaluable peer-to-peer idea-sharing.
MURTEC remains at the top of restaurant industry events because of its laser-focus on providing IT leaders and solution providers with a forum to learn about and discuss issues of the day and consider action plans and future investments.
Who attends MURTEC?
Michael Verdesca EVP & CIO of Focus Brands will share insights into his team’s success with leveraging data and analytics to drive incredible company growth. Joined by Stevie Liang, Vice President – Digital Engineering & Services, these executives will also discuss the differences and importance of both data lakes (uncurated data) and data warehouses and how the two are complementary. Attendees will learn the vital steps they must take to structure their own organization’s data and what results they can expect.
Verdesca, with more than 20 years of technology leadership experience, joined FOCUS Brands in April 2014. Prior to joining FOCUS Brands, he served as chief information officer for Jack in the Box Inc. where he oversaw all technology, program management and strategic alignment for both the Jack in the Box and Qdoba Mexican Grill Brands. He also has a breadth of retail and e-commerce experience from his time at Longs Drug Stores, MoËt Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Williams-Sonoma Inc, and Harry and David Inc. Verdesca grew up in food service and managed food service outlets for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.
Liang joined Focus Brands in January 2015 and is responsible for digital experience, platform, and data engineering & services across six restaurant/snack domestic and international brands. Some of Liang's accomplishments while at Focus Brands include: implementing SITECORE Experience Platform for Web CMS and Contextual Marketing to drive top line sales; implementing first self-service business intelligence dashboards, enterprise data warehouse, and big data platform on Microsoft Azure, PowerBI, HDInsight, & SQL Server which transformed business processes with actionable insights; negotiating new digital partnerships while consolidating digital platforms which resulted in more than 35 percent annual cost savings across brands; implementing next generation loyalty mobile app for restaurant marketing group resulting in increased sales traffic and spend; and implementing a social media hub for monitoring, analytics, publishing, and engagement resulting in more than 200 percent ROI in media buy. Prior to Focus Brands Liang worked for Jack in the Box, Mitchell International and Stellcom Technologies.
Now in its 22nd year, the Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC) produced by Hospitality Technology, has become the “Gold Standard” event for education and networking in the restaurant technology industry. Hosting 700+ restaurant technology executives and solution providers, the event has grown every year to expand on all fronts – more technology, more education, more networking – all while still maintaining an exclusivity and intimacy that fosters invaluable peer-to-peer idea-sharing.
MURTEC remains at the top of restaurant industry events because of its laser-focus on providing IT leaders and solution providers with a forum to learn about and discuss issues of the day and consider action plans and future investments.
Who attends MURTEC?
- Tech-savvy and growth-oriented restaurant companies
- Top executives (including C-suite and VP level executives) across technology, finance, operations and marketing
- CEO/President/Owner
- Restaurant Groups, Franchises and Independent Operators across full-service, fast casual and quick-service brands