KENNY MULLICAN
CIO at Paragon Films, Inc.
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
I am the Chief Information Officer for Paragon Films, a plastics manufacturer in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. I joined Paragon Films about 10 years ago. Paragon Films proudly delivers efficient, sustainable, and economical stretch film products—unparalleled in performance, value, quality and consistency. With plants strategically located in Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Washington, we provide dedicated service to all 50 states, as well as Canada, Mexico, South America and a number of international locations across a wide variety of industries.
I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with my wife, Stephanie, and my daughter, Fiona. I enjoy cycling around Tulsa's beautiful bike trails.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
The majority of my career has been in software development: writing code, managing teams of developers, and managing software projects. Some of my most memorable times were spent working for cutting-edge technology companies in the San Francisco Bay area. I was also a managing partner of a Microsoft Gold managed services company for a while.
I have been in IT leadership for companies in a range of industries from computer software and peripherals to real estate investment to healthcare.
When I came to Paragon Films as the CIO, the company was ready for a new era in technology innovation. I have had the exciting opportunity to take the company on a journey of digital transformation, including cloud migration, cyber security initiatives, automation, and remote collaboration.
I am excited about the growth potential of Paragon Films, and the new technology projects that we have planned to help meet those objectives.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
I have always wanted to reach this level of job, though I had always assumed it would be more of a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) position since much of my earlier career was spent developing software as a product rather than supporting an individual organization.
What I have learned is that the role of CIO can be very rewarding because I have to learn so much about every area of the business, from finance and accounting to manufacturing, supply chain, sales, marketing, and logistics.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
I have had several mentors throughout my career. One in particular that has helped me immensely is Mike Fritts, the CFO of Paragon Films. He has helped me learn to communicate technology concerns and initiatives to the executive staff and board of directors. He has also helped me learn to listen carefully and slow down a little, not being in such a hurry to get to answers.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
As business leaders outside of IT get more knowledgeable about technology, and as technology progresses to be easier for non-tech people to use, the role of a technology leader will become less about delivering solutions, and more about empowering other people to innovate and create their own solutions.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
The primary way I keep current is to stay involved in the hands-on details of the technology we use in our company. I don't ever want to get to the point where I no longer understand the technological details and just have to count on others for all of that. Another way is that I write and speak about new technology. I write articles and guidebooks and participate in panel discussions and give talks. This forces me to stay current on technology trends and products.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
The most recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence show a great deal of promise for manufacturing. Ai-powered automation can help drive efficiencies, increase product quality, and help with demand forecasting.
"Don't stop learning and growing"
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
Whatever role you are in, don't stop learning and growing. Do the very best you can at that job while also thinking about what else you could do with the talents and knowledge you've gained. Also, it's important to learn the difference between those skills you need to improve and grow in, and those that are just never going to be your forte. For the former, you can work hard and learn, and for the latter, just delegate it to someone else who has an aptitude for it.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
I would like to gain more skills at high-level business strategy. Particularly, I would like to be good at working with executive teams and boards of directors. At some point in the future, I might like to enter a consulting role where I could work with multiple companies or boards to help them on their tech journey.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
That all people would be open-minded to other ways of looking at things.
A big thank you to Kenny Mullican from Paragon Films, Inc. for sharing his journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
