Poolwerx has appointed two brand new senior executives to head up technology and innovation.
Shannon O’Brien [pictured above] has been appointed the franchise chain’s first chief innovation officer and Russell Inserra takes on the chief technology officer’s role.
Shannon, who is the son of Poolwerx founder and CEO John O’Brien, will grow the business’ innovation pipeline; his remit includes fast tracking the adoption of new systems across the network.
Based in New York, Shannon O’Brien brings more than a decade of experience in digital transformation and business innovation including roles in London, New York, Sydney and Brisbane and experience working with P&G, Volvo, and Bank of America.
John O’Brien said the new appointment would help deliver innovation across every single business unit to help the brand maintain its competitive edge.
“Poolwerx continues to look for ways to improve our global impact and this significant appointment to the leadership team will allow us to forge ahead with sustainability and keep business development front of mind.
“Since our inception, a key part of our ongoing growth is to constantly evolve and develop new innovations and initiatives. This ensures we stay ahead of our competitors and honour our key values – ‘dare to succeed’ and ‘find the better way’,” he said.
“Shannon’s commitment to impactful change and continuous improvement will be a great asset to the business as we navigate continual changes with agile responses to new opportunities,” he added.
John O’Brien said Covid-19 showcased the business’ capability to quickly shift systems and processes online.
Heading up technology, Russell Inserra will build the brand’s tech infrastructure and enhance products and services to best anticipate changing client needs.
Inserra’s 20-plus years in corporate roles includes executive positions across finance, operations, sales and marketing for brands including Ready Plan retail insurance products and Hannan Group within Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
“Russell has a strong technology and finance background, he knows the ins and outs of the franchising world, but also brings cross-industry experience from the insurance and education sectors,” O’Brien said.
“Technology is a key innovation enabler across products, services and operations for Poolwerx. The last five years have seen us build a robust technology infrastructure to meet the changing consumer needs and ensure we provide our franchise partners with a world-class platform that helps them automate their business.”
