Dawn Foods Opens Boston-Based Digital Innovation Hub

Global bakery manufacturer and ingredients supplier Dawn Foods announced the opening of its first-ever Digital Innovation Hub, located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Under the leadership of Dawn’s chief digital officer, Bob Howland, the Innovation Hub team will play an instrumental role in developing digital solutions for Dawn’s bakery customers.

As one of the top growing tech centers in the U.S., Dawn selected Boston for its Digital Innovation Hub due to the city’s booming tech scene, legacy B2B commerce firms and skilled talent pool. Howland has started to build his team and is looking to expand it to a staff of 10 by the end of the year.

“Dawn Foods has a rich heritage and a bright future ahead. By opening our Digital Innovation Hub in Boston, and investing in an area with rich tech talent, I am confident we are putting the right infrastructure in place to develop the right digital solutions for both Dawn and our customers. Additionally, these critical investments will drive added enhancements for the baking industry as a whole – from cost and time savings to access to a wider array of products, offerings, and inspirational recipes,” said Howland.

Celebrating its 100-anniversary next year, Dawn has worked hard to build trusted relationships with its customers and partners. The team in Boston will play a critical role in this mission and, over the next 12 months, will be focused on developing the digital tools necessary to engage customers, mature Dawn’s business model, and evolve the broader market, the officials say. Digital enhancements will allow bakers to manage their inventory and shipments 24/7 – whenever and wherever they want. From online ordering to monthly market assessments, the tool will be a game-changer for the artisanal baking community, brought to them by a trusted partner that understands their business.

Building his team from the ground up, Howland is looking for passionate, curious, and entrepreneurial-minded talent who want a front-row seat to shape Dawn’s future business and shape digital across the food services industry. This summer, Howland has started the process of hiring for his team and hopes to have a team of ten in place before year-end.  The specific roles include Product Managers, UX Designers, QA/Testing and Senior Engineers/Software Developers.  The team will have a unique opportunity to create a vision around the art of the possible and then go execute it.  Howland will continue to expand his team in 2020 and beyond.

Key new hires include:

• Kristin Pados, senior director of product management: Pados will lead the day-to-day operations of Dawn’s digital sites, build a high-performing product team and instill an Agile software development process.
• Gireesh Sahukar, senior director of digital technology: Sahukar will provide technology architecture expertise, guidance, and governance to ensure platform stability, risk management and mitigation, adherence to standards and optimization.

Howland joined Dawn Foods in February 2019 and is building Dawn’s digital capabilities and driving business model transformation.