Kevin Summers

Kevin Summers brings over three decades of exemplary leadership and diverse industry expertise spanning healthcare, consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, software, technology distribution, and higher education. With a career marked by senior executive roles at renowned organizations and a track record of transformative initiatives, Summers is recognized for his strategic vision, innovation, technology, and business acumen.

Summers served in pivotal roles, including over 20 years as a Chief Information Officer (CIO) for esteemed brands such as Coca-Cola, GE, Lowe’s, Whirlpool, and Avnet. Throughout his tenure, he navigated these companies through significant industry events, leveraging his expertise in technology roadmap development, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and merger and acquisition (M&A) integration.

As a thought leader in technology, Summers pioneered the introduction of innovative solutions such as cloud computing, collaboration tools, artificial intelligence, analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, robotic process automation (RPA), and broadband. His comprehensive understanding of both technology and business functions, including supply chain management, go-to-market strategies, and finance, has been instrumental in driving organizational success.
Summers actively contributed to board discussions on cybersecurity and technology transformation, providing insights derived from his extensive experience at Whirlpool, Lowe’s, and Avnet. Additionally, he offered strategic guidance to private equity firms, including Centerbridge, THL, GA, and WCAS, as well as venture capital firms like KPCB, AZ16, Google Ventures, and Greylock.

Beyond his corporate roles, Summers is current the CEO and Founder of Branchville Technology Firm that bringing Fortune 50 experiences for smaller companies. He collaborated with private equity and venture capital firms, offering technology assessments, advisory services, and program implementations to drive growth and innovation.
In recent engagements, Summers played a critical role in post-acquisition integration efforts, focusing on organizational optimization, process enhancement, and digital transformation. Noteworthy accomplishments include leading Centerbridge’s $500 million acquisition of IBM Watson Marketing Software and serving as interim CIO for USRS lead ransomware attack recovery and development of mitigation plan, working with several large health care systems to outpatient clinics to integrate technology and processes post M&A to prepare for exit and EBITDA growth.

During his tenure as Senior Vice President and CIO at Avnet, a $30 billion technology distribution company, Summers developed a comprehensive technology roadmap, spearheaded digital transformation initiatives, and introduced innovative technologies, resulting in significant revenue growth and organizational modernization.
At Lowe’s, a $72 billion retailer, Summers guided the company through transformative initiatives, including a $2 billion technology transformation, digital business growth, omnichannel enablement, and develop technology innovation ecosystem.

Prior to Lowe’s, Summers served as SVP and CIO of Whirlpool Corporation, where he led critical projects during the Great Recession, including supply chain optimization, international expansion, and digital transformation efforts.

Summers’ distinguished career also includes leadership roles at Coca-Cola, AT&T, and General Electric, where he drove impactful initiatives and earned recognition as one of the Top 100 CIOs and a prominent figure in the technology community.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Summers is committed to giving back to the community through involvement in non-profit organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Feed My Starving Children, and the Rise Up Foundation, his own non-profit that focus on rural economic development, physical/mental health and wellness and agriculture. He is an active member of advisory boards and has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the technology industry.
Summers holds an Executive MBA from Duke University and a Computer Science degree from the College of Charleston, born in Orangeburg, SC. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and Branchville, SC and is a proud father of two children.