Kathy Wetzel

Kathy Wetzel is an action-oriented, big picture thinker with deep cross-functional experience in technology, supply chain, customer service, franchising, as well as customer service and accounting in both the retail and manufacturing industry.

She has extensive experience with artificial intelligence including leading the formation of a cross-functional team to develop a comprehensive AI policy. She has also designed and launched a training program focused on effective utilization of Microsoft Copilot, complemented by a curated book of use cases to drive adoption and practical application. Kathy has spearheaded the development and implementation of multiple proof-of-concept initiatives leveraging diverse data sources to generate comparative insights. One of these initiatives is currently being built to scale, with the expectation of delivering a measurable reduction in purchase order leakages.

She has core competencies in both leadership and strategic thinking. She is experienced in aligning technology and cybersecurity solutions with business strategy and driving projects forward using metrics while holding teams accountable. Kathy is versed in IT management, cybersecurity, business intelligence, project and program management, process improvement, financial analysis, and more.

Experience

Kathy spent a decade as the Chief Information Officer at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), which serves school districts across the state of Texas. She has also spent over 20 years in IT and has held many roles in manufacturing, supply chain management, accounting and customer service. She spent eight years as the vice president of information technology at one of the country’s leading franchisors. Some key accomplishments of hers include strengthening IT leadership skills and succession planning, as well as implementing technology education throughout an organization.

At TASB, she implemented a disciplined approach alongside technology to govern its master data and implemented an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) to better manage data integrations and improve cybersecurity processes to better protect data and improve incident response. She has also facilitated the implementation of a mobile app within a franchise organization, was honored with an innovation award for reducing inventory by 10% using Kanban methodologies, and has previously managed an organization through a data breach.

Background

Kathy is an active member of the Society of Information Management, Austin Chapter and is involved in various CIO forums. She has been previously honored as IT Executive of the Year. She also serves as an advisor to the InnoTech Technology Conference in Austin. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of San Diego.