Tiffany Kane’s journey through the tech world has been marked by a hands-on approach and a commitment to making technology work for people. With a background in digital development and leadership roles across various sectors, she’s known for her ability to turn complex challenges into practical solutions.

At recteq, Tiffany is leading efforts to modernize the company’s data and business intelligence strategies. But her impact goes beyond the office as she is also dedicated to mentoring the next wave of tech professionals, helping them carve out their own paths in the industry.

Walk us through your career path. How did you decide to pursue a career in technology, and how did you get to where you are now?

My journey into technology started with my competitive nature, which has been with me since I was young. This drive pushed me to swim competitively from the age of four through college, ultimately earning a swimming scholarship to the University of Louisville. When I got to college, I had to sign up for my very first email account and the experience was honestly a bit intimidating. It was on one of those old black-and-green screen interfaces, and I was just hitting buttons, trying to figure it out, and thinking, “This is not going to work for me – I have to conquer this.“

This experience sparked my curiosity and determination to understand technology better. When it came time to choose a major, I knew I wanted something that would challenge me, so I decided to major in Computer Information Systems (CIS). At the time, technology was taking off, and I was one of the few women, and the only female athlete, in CIS.

The first role that I landed in technology was an internship at UPS in their airline division. I started as a hands-on web developer, building internal websites for the airline division. That experience laid the groundwork for the rest of my career.

After working at UPS, I took on a developer role at Turner Sports, where I developed websites for PGA.com, The Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and Open Championship. That was a fun experience because we focused more on live video streaming, live scoring, and ad impressions than e-commerce, which was a nice change. Following this, I got my first management role at Home Depot. This was a pivotal moment in my career because I was thrown into the deep end, leading a team and facing challenges I’d never encountered before. But that’s when I gained the confidence to realize that I could do this and I could figure it out.

From there, I moved to Verizon Telematics as a Senior Manager, where I was involved in some really cool IoT projects. Then, I joined WC Bradley, where I was in charge of overseeing all of our enterprise digital and development efforts on a global scale.

That role was especially rewarding because it allowed me to take everything I’d learned in my career up to that point and apply it in a way that really streamlined processes and helped drive the company forward.

Can you tell us about some of the initiatives you are proud of at recteq and other major accomplishments at other points in your career?

I have been with recteq for a year as of July. We are currently re-architecting our eCommerce platform and kicking off a project to modernize our data stack. Our goal is to not only centralize data but also unlock core BI features and functionality – including data visualization, robust dashboards, and predictive analytics. This will empower the business to make better, data-driven decisions through accurate, timely, and relevant information.

We’re just starting, so it’s still early days, but it’s really exciting.

As for my previous roles, one of the projects I’m really proud of was at Levolor, where I was a CIO Lite. We completely rebuilt levolor.com, which is both a B2B and B2C e-commerce site. The real complexity of that project was around the configurator because Levolor makes custom blinds and shades, and window sizes are anything but standard. I didn’t realize until I started working there just how customized those products are. Even though a window might look standard, it’s likely not, which means the configurator had to handle millions of variations.

Everyone warned us not to touch the legacy configurator – saying it was more complex than automotive systems and would take millions of dollars and years to develop. But I wasn’t deterred. With a team of just four, we rebuilt it in under a year for well under a million dollars, using a modern e-commerce stack, making it headless, and turning it into a progressive web app.

The results were astounding: a 75% improvement in site performance and a 50% increase in mobile sales.

At WC Bradley, one of the big challenges was building a scalable delivery model that gave each of our business divisions not only visibility into what we were working on but also the exact cost. We implemented an agile scrum process at the ticket level, which allowed us to track the number of hours spent on specific tasks and for specific divisions. This transparency was crucial because it helped address the concerns of various divisions that felt they weren’t getting enough attention. We were able to run reports and show exactly how much time we were spending on their projects, which was especially useful during budget season.

It allowed them to see the value we were bringing and helped them plan their budgets more effectively.

One of my strengths, I’d say, is being able to show the business value of IT initiatives and explain technical things in a way that non-technical people can understand. Once people see the value and understand what it takes to get things done, they become partners and advocates, rather than feeling frustrated.

Looking ahead, what disruptive technology or trend do you see impacting your organization and the industry?

AI and security are the first things that come to mind. We’re starting to dip our toes in the AI water and performing some fun POCs with our consumer-facing applications. Holistically, I’d rather watch and see how things play out, like which companies bring the best products and which ones are getting the most value.

I like to talk to my peers, network with other CIOs, and see what’s working for their teams. From there, we can adopt things at a more moderate pace, rather than trying to be bleeding edge.

Security is always top of mind, though. We’re really focused on business continuity, disaster recovery, and educating our workforce on phishing – those are always going to be big priorities. It’s not always the most exciting stuff, but it’s critical.

What do you think about the current state of IT talent that’s available? And what strategies are you using to find and develop that talent?

One of my strongest beliefs is developing and retaining the talent you already have. It’s crucial to provide clear career paths for your existing staff since they already have the domain knowledge.

Keeping people engaged, challenged, and feeling heard is key, and this all ties back to relationship building, which I strongly value. My approach to leadership is rooted in a servant leadership mindset – my role is to support my team, as they’re the ones providing a service to the company.

“In my experience, it is important to give people new projects and opportunities, especially in a field like technology where things are always changing.”

When you have team members who love learning, it’s important to let them try new things, not be afraid to fail, and lead in a way that encourages that mindset. That’s where innovation and efficiency come from. Obviously, it doesn’t always work that way for everyone, but in my experience, it is important to give people new projects and opportunities, especially in a field like technology where things are always changing.

On top of that, I’m partnering with some great staffing firms to bring in fresh talent. Honestly, working for a company like recTeq helps a lot too. It’s a cool company with a great culture – especially with three on-staff chefs grilling for us all the time, our renowned grilling academy, and our laid-back environment. All of that definitely helps attract talent.

What advice would you give someone aspiring to be a CIO, based on your experiences and your background?

The first piece of advice I’d give is about relationship building. As you move up in your career, titles start to matter less. It’s more about how relatable you are and how well you’re partnering with others. I make it a point to schedule one-on-ones with my peers every two weeks and with their direct reports maybe once a month. It’s not about hierarchy; it’s just about meeting with people to learn, check in on how my team is doing, and understand challenges and opportunities where technology can help.

Another important thing is to focus on outcomes rather than just the output. Build relationships with your peers, colleagues, and stakeholders, and make networking a priority, both within your company and externally.

Networking takes work, and it’s not always fun, especially after a long day when you’re tired.

Even extroverts get tired of talking, especially when you go to events where you don’t know anyone, and you have to make small talk. But it’s like getting up in the morning to work out, you might dread it initially, but you’re always glad you did it afterward.

So, focus on building those relationships and not getting hung up on titles. The title will come eventually, but it’s more important to concentrate on how you’re going to get there by connecting the dots and building those crucial connections.

Who would you say has been the biggest influence on your career path, either in school or in a previous role? And why?

I’ve been fortunate to have many influences on my career path, each leaving a significant mark on my growth and leadership style. From early management opportunities to invaluable mentorship and the trust to lead major projects, these experiences have shaped the professional I am today.

Leaders like Tia Likely at The Home Depot, who believed in me and gave me my first management opportunity, allowed me to grow in ways I never imagined. Terry Bargy at W.C. Bradley trusted me to build out a global digital development team, allowing me to truly blossom.

Nancy D’Amico, whom I met through Pathbuilders, has been a pivotal figure in my journey. Having honest insight from a female CIO – the dos, the don’ts – has been invaluable. What she has done for me inspired me to volunteer as a mentor with Pathbuilders myself. They are big shoes to fill, but I hope to pay it forward.

Chris Robbins, the CEO of Charbroil, became my number-one cheerleader, and her support transformed my confidence as an IT leader. Her advice on how to navigate interactions with CEOs of varying IT knowledge levels was a game changer. And then there’s Christian Leard, the CEO of Levolor, who gave me my first VP IT/CIO Lite role. His transparent leadership style, pragmatic approach, and kindness toward everyone left me motivated and inspired – If he could sell that sauce, everyone should buy it!

I am deeply grateful for their influence, as well as the many others – Mark Richards at Turner Sports and Bill Manos at UPS – who have been part of my career journey, contributing to the leader I am today. I also want to acknowledge the unwavering support of my husband, Lieutenant Colonel James Kane, whose encouragement and understanding have been instrumental in my success.

How do you decompress from the challenges of being a CIO? What do you like to do for fun?

For me, it’s all about being outside. I love spending time at the lake in the summer – kayaking, going to wineries, and traveling. That’s really how I unwind. Also, I have 10 nieces and nephews! So, I get to be the fun aunt.

Are there any books that you recommend, that you give to others, or that have shaped you as a leader?

When it comes to books, I have to admit that I’m not the biggest reader, especially when it comes to business books. However, there is an app called Blinkist that I use, which gives me summaries that are straight to the point.

One book I’ve started reading is The Learning of Love: A Journey Towards Servant Leadership by one of the owners of WC Bradley. That idea of servant leadership resonates with me and ties into some of the things we’ve talked about, like building relationships and leading with a service-oriented mindset.

Beyond books, I’m more engaged in networking and learning from others in real-time. I like to connect with other leaders, see what tools they’re using, and discuss what’s working for them. I often learn a lot from the smart people I work with, too. They’re the ones in the trenches, handling the technical details, and I greatly benefit from their insights and knowledge.

Anything else you’d like to add before we wrap up?

My mantra is about being grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given by every leader I’ve worked with. I know I mentioned some names earlier, but really, everyone I’ve worked with gave me a chance to learn and grow, which I’m deeply thankful for.

I’m also forever grateful for my husband. He does a lot to support me, especially since my schedule can get pretty crazy sometimes. He’s always been there for me, along with my sister, my brothers, my mom, and my dad. They’ve all been my biggest cheerleaders behind the scenes.

I’ve been surrounded by good people my whole life, and I’m just really grateful that I’ve been able to get to where I am through hard work and the belief that others have had in me.