QSR Technology Experts Join Restaurant Technology Network
One of the Restaurant Technology Network’s founding members, QSR Automations, shares why the company joined and how each member feels about being a part of this game-changing community.
How long have you been with QSR Automations? And in what role(s)?
Brian Wayne: I’ve been with the company for 15 years now serving in a multitude of roles. I started in Quality Assurance, then on to Implementations, Product Manager, Technical Sales. Today, I serve as the Vice President of Customer Success. I’m proud to say that I lead the best customer-focused team in the industry.
How many years of technology experience do you have?
Wayne: I have 15 years of technology experience with a focus on operational technology. I oversee the design, implementation, training, rollouts, and support of this technology for our customers.
What excites you most about being part of the Restaurant Technology Network?
Wayne: I’m excited about gathering insights from industry peers on best practices, staying current on technology trends, and understanding the perspective of restaurant IT leaders.
Is there anything you’d like to get out of your membership to the RTN?
Wayne: Yes. I’m excited to access to content that I can’t receive anywhere else.
Is there anything, in particular, you’d like to share with other RTN members?
Wayne: I had the opportunity to speak on a Restaurant Technology Summit Panel in 2017 about Trends in Operational Technology and last year. I led a Session at the TRA Marketplace Show on Restaurant Data. I also try to keep up with what’s going on in the industry by sharing content on Twitter. Feel free to follow me @brianwayne.
Outside of being a technology guru, what else do you do with your free time?
Wayne: I love keeping current on industry trends and try to stay focused on personal development. At home, my wife Courtney and I are raising three young boys, so I’m always on my toes, but loving every minute of it.
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How long have you been with QSR Automations? And in what role(s)?
Chris Herndon: I have been with QSR since October 2011. My QSR career started in Technical Support on the Help Desk. I then moved to QA, where my primary focus was Point-of-Sale interface certification and hardware testing. The POS certification work was later taken out of QA, at which time I became Integration Services Manager and continued working primarily on POS integration projects. In early 2016 my title changed to Manager of Partner Development and my work expanded to include newly developed third-party API services beyond the POS. I have since moved under the Director of Platform Data & Partnerships and grown our Partner Development team as our API offerings, and partnership opportunities have increased.
How many years of technology experience do you have?
Herndon: Between QSR and previous employers, I have roughly 15 years of technology experience.
In what technology capacity? Provide specifics, please.
Herndon: I did not work with restaurant/hospitality technology before my tenure at QSR. Previous experience includes support, client services and management roles at a media research firm that leveraged multiple tech platforms to support public relation and marketing operations for PR firms and large corporations.
What excites you most about being part of the Restaurant Technology Network?
Herndon: In exploring and supporting new partnership opportunities, I get to see a variety of third-party solutions. The most exciting aspect is working with partners and restaurant groups to find innovative ways to work together and blend technologies. I feel my membership in the RTN will further support that effort and be a great way to connect with people in the industry.
Is there anything you’d like to get out of your membership to the RTN?
Herndon: Honestly, I am open to seeing what opportunities membership in the RTN will bring. I am not typically someone who networks, online or otherwise, so RTN will be a new opportunity to build professional relationships and hopefully soak up knowledge from others’ experience.
Outside of being a technology guru, what else do you do with your free time?
Herndon: My free time interests include golf, cycling, music, podcasts, movies and Indiana University sports. I also grow hot peppers and dabble in making hot sauces.
How long have you been with QSR Automations? And in what role(s)?
Dan Linker: I’ve been with QSR for 17+ years in many management and technical roles including support services, international business development, customer solutions and most recently I am the Director of Technical Sales.
How many years of technology experience do you have?
Linker: I have more than 26 years of technology experience.
In what technology capacity? Provide specifics, please.
Linker: IT/Network Administration, Restaurant IT Solutions Implementation prior to experience at QSR
What excites you most about being part of the Restaurant Technology Network?
Linker: Seeing the way an industry not typically associated with technology uses it to its benefit.
Is there anything you’d like to get out of your membership to the RTN?
Linker: Networking and idea sharing with my peers in the industry.
Is there anything, in particular, you’d like to share with other RTN members?
Linker: Having spent much of my career at restaurant/restaurant tech companies utilizing kitchen display technology, I feel like that is my area of expertise and like sharing my ideas and experience in how that technology benefits restaurant companies.
Outside of being a technology guru, what else do you do with your free time?
Linker: I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, I participate in full contact origami. I like to make extravagant four-course meals using only a mouli grater and a toaster oven, and for dessert, I will prepare 30-minute brownies in under 20 minutes. I breed prize winning clams and have an award-winning line of corduroy evening wear. Sorry, I lifted all of that from one of the funniest college entrance essays ever and I always steal from it when someone asks what I do in my free time. Really, the truth is, I like to travel, and I like doing just about anything outdoors especially hiking, biking and kayaking. In the colder months, I like the more non-Olympic sports like pool, bowling, darts and sampling craft beers and bourbons.
How long have you been with QSR Automations? And in what role(s)?
Joshua Nord: This year will be my 12th with QSR. I started as an engineer on the ePic Kitchen Display product, and have worked as an engineer or manager for several of our products throughout the years. I currently lead our software development team.
How many years of technology experience do you have?
Nord: I’ve been working in restaurant technology for nearly 20 years.
In what technology capacity? Provide specifics, please.
Nord: I’ve worked in software engineering (from COBOL to C++ to .Net Core 3), cloud architecture and infrastructure (primarily AWS, some GCP), corporate IT, and product development management.
What excites you most about being part of the Restaurant Technology Network?
Nord: I like the idea of having a more extensive network of people similarly interested in pushing technology and automation forward in the foodservice industry.
Is there anything you’d like to get out of your membership to the RTN?
Nord: I’m looking forward to gaining more direct insight into the technology and data challenges of restaurant operators.
Outside of being a technology guru, what else do you do with your free time?
Nord: I spend as much free time as I can with my wife and two daughters; we enjoy traveling, eating, and hiking. I also take my passion for technology out of the office through home automation projects.
With what, associations/memberships do you currently take part?
Nord: I am a member of the Louisville Technology Alliance, as well as a founding member of bit502 technology education partnership.
How long have you been with QSR Automations? And in what role(s)?
Kathi Klein: I’ve been a part of the QSR team for 10.5 years in various roles, like implementation, QA Manager, and most recently Director Support Services. I lead a fantastic group of support analysts that consistently receive 100% positive feedback on their support surveys!
How many years of technology experience do you have?
Klein: I’ve been exploring and learning in restaurant technology for more than 25 years now.
In what technology capacity? Provide specifics, please.
Klein: Restaurant technology has been my main focus for those 25 years but in various roles. Those include POS Support and Implementation, above store data analytics, loss management, quality assurance, business analyst and end user support.
What excites you most about being part of the Restaurant Technology Network?
Klein: I’m excited to have the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, who are passionate about technology and restaurants.
Is there anything you’d like to get out of your membership to the RTN?
Klein: I want to meet other technology professionals that are enthusiastic about where the hospitality industry will go and talk with those that are interested in finding ways we can work together to make dining out better for all consumers.
Outside of being a technology guru, what else do you do with your free time?
Klein: When I am not troubleshooting with one of our clients, I’m attending live music shows and festivals. I’m an avid music fan.
How long have you been with QSR Automations? And in what role(s)?
Marty Disibio: I have been at QSR for more than five years and have had the following roles (all concerning our enterprise): Sr. Software Engineer, Manager Enterprise Systems, Solutions Architect and most currently Director of Enterprise Architecture.
How many years of technology experience do you have?
Disibio: I have been working professionally for 15 years but was always into technology in university and high school. Previously I worked at Yum! Brands and KFC for ten years in technical roles.
In what technology capacity? Provide specifics, please.
Disibio: My background is software engineering, and I’ve always been in the restaurant industry. I have worked on just about everything including back-of-house financial and reporting systems, POS integrations, web services, and cloud infrastructure. I also have experience in compliance and regulation including PCI and GDPR. I am an AWS Certified Solutions Architect.
What excites you most about being part of the Restaurant Technology Network?
Disibio: I’m looking forward to the collaboration with other industry professionals and partners to discuss technology and how it is affecting the industry as a whole.
Is there anything you’d like to get out of your membership to the RTN?
Disibio: Ideally, the membership is beneficial for our company as a whole and yields some viable opportunities for new and exciting products and partnerships.
Is there anything, in particular, you’d like to share with other RTN members?
Disibio: Sure, I am a hands-on engineer at heart and love to talk about tech, so feel free to reach out if you have something you’d like to discuss!
Outside of being a technology guru, what else do you do with your free time?
Disibio: I enjoy spending time with my family.
In Closing
In closing, our mission here at QSR Automations is to create smarter solutions, apply purposeful technology and take the dining experience to the next level, and we’re committed to making that happen. We are continuously thinking outside the box, partnering with the best in the industry and learning from other knowledgeable hospitality technology professionals and being a part of the Restaurant Technology Network is just another way we can accomplish all of those things to fulfill our mission. We encourage you to learn more about the Restaurant Technology Network by visiting www.restauranttechnologynetwork.com and join us – we want to learn from you too!
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About the Author
Amber Mullaney provides and guides all things marketing for QSR. A proud Texan native, she graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Public Relations. She spent her career in the healthcare industry before making the switch to QSR.
