Divert Appoints CIO
Impact technology company Divert Inc. has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointment of Bob Watkins as CIO. Watkins brings more than 25 years of global experience to his new role, having worked with startups and Fortune 50 companies alike across such industries as medical devices, electronics, materials, engineering and manufacturing. His leadership experience leading teams across various functions includes information technology, supply chain, product marketing and engineering.
Watkins’ most recent role was that of chief business and technology officer at Triumvirate Environmental, heading its IT, training, and supply chain functions. Prior to Triumvirate, Watkins was CIO and CTO for Surgalign Spine Technologies Inc. He has also held leadership roles at Smith & Nephew, Johnson Controls, General Electric, and SABIC.
[Read more: “Divert Has Processed 1B Pounds of Wasted Food Since 2021”]
“Divert is an industry leader tackling wasted food by changing the grocery retail supply chain, mitigating harmful emissions and rethinking our energy sources,” noted Watkins. “I am excited to advance Divert’s already cutting-edge solutions, and work on a mission I believe in.”
Divert is currently in a state of rapid growth: Its headcount increased by more than 25% to 300-plus last year. As CIO, Watkins will prepare Divert to scale its 30 facilities by further digitizing the company’s business and developing its digital wasted-food platform.
“We are in a strong position to accelerate our efforts to eliminate wasted food in 2024, and Bob will be an invaluable addition given his process improvement, manufacturing, supply chain and product development experience,” said Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of West Concord, Mass.-based Divert. “Bob brings decades of experience advancing information, data and analytics capabilities, and we look forward to him joining our leadership team.”
Watkins earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts.
Divert works with five Fortune 100 companies and nearly 5,400 retail stores across the United States, helping food retailers achieve their sustainability goals.
