VP of Technology · Winnipeg, Manitoba
Morris Stern. Enterprise technology leadership, proven in high-volume retail operations.
For 15+ years I have led ERP, POS, payments, integration, and store systems across Canadian and US operations, including the post-acquisition conversion of a 265-store, roughly $3B retail network onto a single platform: three legal entities, 3,000+ users, nine months, on time and on budget.
Direct line to Morris · Response within 1 business day
- 15+
- Years leading enterprise technology
- 265
- Stores converted to one platform in 9 months
- ~$3B
- Combined network revenue
- 86,000
- Digital price tags live network-wide
The record
Work I have led as the accountable executive.
Not projects I observed or advised from a distance. Programs where the vendor calls, the go-live decisions, and the 6am escalations landed on my desk.
265 stores converted onto one platform in nine months
When the acquirer standardized on the retail platform built under my leadership, I led the conversion of both retail estates onto it: 265 stores, three legal entities, 3,000+ users, plus a new data center build. Nine months, on time and on budget, with cutover playbooks that cut each successive onboarding effort by half.
Read the conversion case studyERP stabilization while the platform ran the business
Inherited an ERP estate that was generating incidents faster than the team could close them. Stabilization work cut incident volume by more than 40% without pausing operations, and hardened the platform the acquirer later standardized on.
How it set up the conversionStore systems at chain scale
Chain-wide mobile POS on a store tablet fleet that cut device hardware costs by more than 50%. A digital price tag program at 86,000 units live, scaling toward 169,000. A payments rebuild worth $500K+ in annual savings. An edge agent architecture that detects and heals common store-system failures before they reach the help desk.
Read the POS case studyA $25M ICT capital portfolio, 50+ concurrent projects
Directed a $25M ICT capital portfolio within a $1B provincial healthcare program: 50+ concurrent projects and two new-build hospitals in a regulated, audit-intensive environment, generating roughly $3M in annual savings.
Read the healthcare case studyHow I operate
Technology programs fail in predictable places. I plan for them.
Programs fail between strategy and operations
The deck says modernize. The store still has to sell on Saturday, the plant still has to ship, the claims system still has to pay. I sequence technology change around the operating reality, not the project plan.
Vendors manage to their contract
Left alone, every vendor and systems integrator optimizes for their own scope. Somebody on the buy side has to own the outcome. That governance is a core part of how I run programs.
Adoption decides the outcome
A system nobody uses correctly is a failed system, whatever the status report says. Readiness, training, and stabilization are built into my programs from day one, not added in the last six weeks.
About
A Winnipegger with a cross-border record.
I am a lifelong Winnipegger. Over the last several years my work drifted south: first as VP of Retail Systems for a cross-border retail group operating 184 locations in Canada and the US, then through a divestiture to one of North America’s largest furniture and home goods retailers. The buyer standardized on the platform my team built and retained me to lead the conversion; I serve as VP of Retail Technology, working remotely from Winnipeg. I am now refocusing on the Manitoba market.
Retail is where the record was built, because high-volume retail operations punish weak technology leadership quickly. The disciplines transfer: ERP and enterprise systems, integration architecture, payments, vendor governance, delivery governance, and AI governance. Before retail, I directed 50+ concurrent ICT capital projects for a provincial health system and ran IT and business intelligence for a North American manufacturer.
I also take on select advisory engagements through Stern Technology Advisory.
What people say
“Driving complex projects in a simple and structured way is one of his greatest strengths. Morris is a real team motivator, never afraid to take important actions for the benefit of the company. He is committed to achieving excellent results while fostering collaboration and demonstrating a strong sense of availability.”
“He’s been able to get into some of the most complex technologies and sometimes ridiculously convoluted systems, and make sense of them and then break them down in order to improve and streamline them. I’ve also seen first-hand how he can break strategy down into actionable plans and see them through to execution.”
“Morris is someone that will succeed in whatever he puts his mind to. He has the rare talent of getting people motivated to work toward a common goal even when he doesn’t have direct authority over them. If presented with a need to hire an analyst or manager in the future, Morris would be the first person I would call.”
Proof, not hype
Case studies written to be concrete: situation, constraints, decisions, and outcomes.
M&A Platform Conversion: 265 Stores in Nine Months
Post-acquisition conversion of 265 stores onto a single retail platform in nine months, with cutover playbooks that made each subsequent onboarding materially faster.
RetailPOS and Payments Modernization
Cross-border furniture retail group modernized to mobile POS on a new tablet fleet, with 3DS payments, $500K+ in annual payment savings, and device hardware costs cut by more than 50%.
RetailDigital Price Tags: From Pilot to 50,000 Units Chain-Wide
Led a 50,000-unit Vusion ESL rollout at near-100% pricing accuracy, saving 18 to 22 labor hours per store per week, in a program now at 86,000 units network-wide.
HealthcareProvincial Health System: A $25M ICT Capital Portfolio
Directed 50+ concurrent ICT capital projects and two new-build hospitals within a $1B provincial healthcare program, generating roughly $3M in annual savings.
EnterpriseERP Roadmap and Delivery Oversight
Leadership team gained a prioritized roadmap tied to business outcomes, reducing rework and improving investment clarity.
CommerceDigital Commerce and BI Channel Build
Took an established apparel manufacturer from minimal digital presence to a $1M+ DTC channel, a $2M+ marketplace program, and the foundation for $20M in B2B and ecommerce growth.
Writing
Articles on retail ERP, POS, PIM, store systems, AI governance, and modernization decisions. Published here, in CIOReview and Retail Tech Insights, and on LinkedIn.
Platforms and ecosystems I have worked with
- Salesforce
- Microsoft
- Oracle
- Sensormatic
- Samsung
- Elavon
- Adyen
- Moneris
- STORIS
- Blue Cherry
- Vusion / SES-imagotag
- SOLUM
Common questions
Common questions
- Who is Morris Stern?
- Morris Stern is a Winnipeg-based technology executive. He is currently VP of Retail Technology for one of North America's largest furniture and home goods retailers, and was previously VP of Retail Systems for a cross-border retail group, with accountability for ERP, POS, payments, ecommerce, integration, and store systems across a combined 265-store, roughly $3B retail network.
- Is Morris available for executive roles?
- Yes. Morris is focused on VP of Technology, CTO, CIO, and Chief Digital Officer mandates, with a Winnipeg and Manitoba focus, and remains credible for US retail and enterprise technology leadership. He also takes on select advisory engagements.
- What is Stern Technology Advisory?
- Stern Technology Advisory is Morris Stern's professional site and advisory practice. The site documents his operating record, case studies, guides, and writing. The practice takes on select advisory engagements.
- Does Morris work outside retail?
- Yes. Retail is where the record was built, because high-volume retail operations punish weak technology leadership quickly. The disciplines transfer directly: ERP and enterprise systems, integration architecture, payments, vendor governance, delivery governance, and AI governance. His program delivery experience also spans provincial healthcare infrastructure and manufacturing.
Talk to Morris.
Executive search, board inquiry, or a technology decision that needs a second set of eyes. I respond personally within one business day.
Based in Winnipeg · Canada & US