Dave Nickens Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Newport News, Virginia, Us

• Led a 30-person team responsible for acquiring and integrating a new enterprise data governance platform solution, defining the roadmap and backlog for all initiatives. • Successfully defined and implemented a new Customer Data Strategy, securing funding from Ferguson Executive Leadership. This resulted in a 5-year Product Roadmap unlocking significant sales and operational efficiencies. • Developed and executed a comprehensive ML Data Fabric strategy, dramatically reducing the time to onboard new products from 8 days to 5 hours, significantly accelerating product time-to-market. • Rolled out Microsoft Copilot Pilot increasing workforce efficiency by 20% within the first 4 months. Established Ferguson AI Center of Excellence (COE) in partnership with Ferguson Legal and a select cross-functional team to define Generative AI Enterprise ethics and boundaries of adoption and use. • Established comprehensive Product Data operations capabilities, including CI/CD pipelines for new ML models, streamlining operations and improving model deployment efficiency for cross-functional teams. • Successfully launched the inaugural enterprise data governance capability, delivering a Data Governance Catalog that aligned Data Stewards, preserved institutional knowledge, and optimized business processes. • Defined and implemented key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and enhance the effectiveness of Data Enablement Product initiatives, establishing a robust framework for continuous improvement.

Newport News, Virginia, Us

Led Strategic Innovation Initiatives and Built a High-Performing Innovation Team• Developed and executed a comprehensive innovation strategy aligned with Ferguson Ventures and the Ferguson Leadership Team's strategic business goals and growth priorities.• Led ideation sessions and mentored innovation teams in designing, architecting, and developing proof-of-concept solutions using emerging technologies.• Identified and assessed emerging technologies and trends with the potential to transform the construction industry, including AI/ML, IoT, robotics, and blockchain.• Built and maintained a robust innovation ecosystem, cultivating relationships with universities, venture capital firms, startups, accelerators, and strategic supply chain partners.• Defined, measured, and reported key innovation metrics to track progress against goals and demonstrate the impact of innovation initiatives.• Acted as a thought leader on emerging trends and technologies, articulating their potential impact on the enterprise to senior leadership and key stakeholders.• Built and led a high-performing innovation team, including product owners, service designers, and interns, to accelerate construction tech innovation and prototyping capabilities.• Facilitated technical due diligence as part of Ferguson Ventures, contributing to the successful completion of 7 Board-approved investments.• Managed the innovation budget and conducted annual strategic planning to ensure the effective allocation of resources.• Collaborated closely with senior leadership, business units, and external partners to review key business priorities and drive technology initiatives.• Contributed to industry-wide best practices by participating in the Georgia Tech Innovation Leaders Roundtable, fostering collaboration and influencing the direction of the field.See Projects below for Key Activities.

Chico, Ca, Us

Directed Successful Mobile App Launch and Growth at Build.com• Defined and executed a comprehensive mobile product roadmap and launch plan, achieving a successful app launch within 6 months of hire.• Collaborated strategically with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Merchandising, Design, Engineering) to ensure alignment and optimize the user experience.• Partnered with Apple to develop a go-to-market strategy leveraging cutting-edge Augmented Reality features, enhancing the Build.com app's value proposition.• Rapidly iterated on the product roadmap, incorporating user feedback and market trends to deliver innovative features and achieve widespread acclaim.• Secured industry-first digital rights ownership for 3D models (digital twins) with 20 top home improvement brands, creating a valuable asset for resale.• Developed and implemented targeted app push notification campaigns, significantly boosting user acquisition, app adoption, and average order value (3x higher compared to other channels).Key Achievements:• Increased app downloads by 500% through strategic Apple App Store traffic acquisition campaigns.• Achieved stellar user reviews, maintaining a 4.9 rating on the Apple App Store (8.8K reviews) and a 4.7 rating on the Google Play Store (420+ reviews, 100K+ downloads).• Contributed to industry recognition with prestigious awards (Appy Award, SMARTIES Award, Media Design Award) and "Apple App of the Day" recognition (over 10 times).• Generated significant revenue growth, driving over $100M in net revenue to the B2C (Build.com) business since the app launch.• Pioneered the use of digital twins (over 4,000) in the home improvement industry, enhancing the digital shopping experience.

Chico, Ca, Us

Foster City, California, Us

Led Strategic Initiatives to Enhance Data Capabilities and Improve Efficiency at Visa• Successfully transitioned from MicroStrategy to Tableau reporting, formulating and executing a comprehensive strategy that significantly enhanced data visualization capabilities and user engagement.• Championed the adoption of Agile and DevOps methodologies, resulting in increased developer efficiency and faster delivery times for reporting solutions.• Advocated for a shift from Waterfall to Agile Development to Visa Data Platform Engineering teams, driving a critical change in development processes.• Facilitated strategic alignment among senior Visa leaders during the migration from IBM to open-source frameworks for big data distributed computing, ensuring a smooth and successful transition.Enhanced Partner Reporting and Drove Innovation• Developed a comprehensive Product Roadmap and strategy to deliver more robust reporting solutions to partner banks, significantly enhancing data visualizations, user adoption, and engagement.• Implemented an Agile and DevOps framework that increased developer efficiency and faster delivery times for reporting solutions.

San Jose, California, Us

Led High-Performing Teams and Delivered Innovative Mobile Solutions• Directed a team of 15 product managers and UX designers, overseeing the work of over 300 engineers both onshore and offshore.• Successfully managed the development and release of the eBay Mobile Apple Watch App, enhancing the mobile shopping experience for users.• Consolidated requirements from over 20 internal stakeholder groups to create a unified enterprise roadmap for Behavioral Tracking and Reporting product offerings.• Facilitated PayPal transition to agile development processes, including estimation sessions, backlog grooming, and sprint reviews, ensuring efficient alignment with business goals.

San Jose, Ca, Us

Here, I spearheaded the development and implementation of a cohesive strategy for enterprise tracking tools, unifying over 100 teams at PayPal. I provided strategic oversight of tracking technologies and product management for marketing optimization, leading to the successful launch of PayPal’s first multi-channel capable tracking platform and experimental learning capabilities.Select accomplishments:✢ Successfully negotiated with 18 enterprise architects to establish PayPal's inaugural Enterprise A/B Testing Platform and strategic utilization approach.✢ Managed behavioral tracking platforms, processing 18 million data rows daily, and advanced PayPal's analytics capabilities through leadership in behavioral reporting governance, channel implementation, and capture mechanisms.✢ Oversaw the rollout and stabilization of new First Party Tracking Platforms, significantly enhancing data security and privacy.✢ Directed a $2M budget for tracking tools, ensuring optimal allocation and utilization.

San Jose, Ca, Us

Cisco Enterprise Portal Initiative Proof of Concept: Served as Lead Analyst on an enterprise team tasked with evaluating the IBM WebSphere Portal's ability to meet Cisco's evolving information delivery needs.• Gathered organizational requirements and collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop a working environment demonstrating the IBM WebSphere Portal's integration capabilities.• Managed relationships with Cisco, IBM, and Ascendant Technology, fostering open communication and facilitating a productive partnership during the Proof of Concept.• Developed and delivered both technical and business-focused presentations to teams and executives across the enterprise.Executive Briefing Center:• Conducted informational exchanges with partners and customers on specific technology topics.• Co-presented the Cisco Enterprise Portal Business Case to various executives, including those at Samsung, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Disney, Canadian Tire, and ABSA Bank.• Advised key decision-makers on how to leverage emerging technologies and business innovations to increase productivity and maximize IT investments.

Created a small company based on the demand of my local community to move their businesses to the web. Web design and implementation. Business process automation.

Bs, Computer Information Systems

Professional Certificate In Business Analysis, Business/Commerce, General