Ronald Blahnik

Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Hibbett

Search every verified Ronald Blahnik interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Ronald Blahnik, former Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Hibbett, has been discussing his leadership philosophy and approach to technology in recent interviews. He stated that he runs IT "like a business" and focuses on business outcomes such as making and saving money rather than technology acronyms. Blahnik described his role as working with business partners to help sales organizations make more money, supply organizations move product faster, and human resources take care of people better. He noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hibbett doubled in size and implemented daily standups with senior leadership to ensure speed to decision, saying "speed is life." Blahnik has also commented on artificial intelligence, stating it is "near the top of the hype cycle with a valley of disillusionment ahead" but that there is real value in its application. He said his organization ranked AI opportunities by those that could deliver value, such as helping save money, serve customers, or grow the business, rather than pursuing "AI for AI's sake." Reflecting on his career, Blahnik said he resolved at age 17 to become a CIO and that making choices early and executing with focus was his recipe for success. He also noted that of 23 leaders he worked for in consulting, he would work for only two again, and advised that one can learn from both good and bad leaders.