STEPHEN HALES
Keswick,ON
Summary
Strategic Information Technology Manager skilled in guiding navigation of modern technology. Accustomed to driving efficiency and effectiveness by developing, delivering and supporting strategic plans. Demonstrated skill in translating technical requirements to business solutions. Successful 19-year record of building positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President of Technology
DCR Systems Group Inc
01.2019 - Current
- Company Overview: Canadian leader in OEM factory managed services, ITAD, and computer sales
- Oversee all aspects of technology strategy and execution, including infrastructure, systems administration, and software development across multiple high-volume service lines
- Lead cross-functional teams supporting OEM partners with customized IT solutions, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality managed services
- Maintain data center operations with an error rate of less than 0.5% at volumes reaching up to 1,000 units per day
- Manage network patching systems to maximize throughput and resource efficiency for key data center partners
- Partner with executive leadership to align technology initiatives with business objectives, driving improvements in efficiency and client satisfaction
- Provide hands-on mentorship to technical staff; many former mentees have advanced to successful careers in the IT industry, reflecting a strong culture of growth and development
- Foster trusted, long-standing relationships with OEM and enterprise partners through consistent execution, transparent communication, and technical excellence
- Play a key leadership role through organizational change and acquisition, maintaining team focus and operational continuity in challenging environments
- Canadian leader in OEM factory managed services, ITAD, and computer sales
Process Engineer
DCR Systems Group Inc
01.2015 - 01.2019
- Company Overview: Canadian leader in OEM factory managed services, ITAD, and computer sales
- Designed, implemented, and optimized scalable operational workflows for ITAD, OEM configuration, and managed service delivery teams
- Led initiatives to increase throughput, reduce rework, and improve quality, contributing to a consistently low error rate and streamlined turnaround times
- Developed documentation and training materials to standardize technical processes, ensuring consistent execution across teams as the company grew
- Implemented network-connected services using a customized Windows PE bootable environment, resulting in a 600% increase in productivity
- Introduced data-driven methodologies to track performance metrics and identify inefficiencies, significantly improving unit output and turnaround
- Acted as a mentor and technical resource for frontline staff, contributing to professional growth and internal promotion paths
- Canadian leader in OEM factory managed services, ITAD, and computer sales
Lead Technician / Warranty Supervisor
DCR Systems Group Inc
01.2006 - 01.2015
- Company Overview: Canadian leader in OEM factory managed services, ITAD, and computer sales
- Managed frontline technical operations for hardware diagnostics, repair, and warranty fulfillment across a wide range of OEM devices
- Built and led the technician team from the ground up, establishing standards, workflows, and documentation that scaled with company growth
- Developed in-house tools and processes to improve repair accuracy, reduce turnaround time, and streamline communication between departments
- Took ownership of root cause analysis and quality assurance, ensuring consistent resolution of recurring issues and minimizing repeat failures
- Provided hands-on training and mentorship to new technicians, many of whom advanced into more senior technical roles
- Played a key role in maintaining service-level agreements (SLAs) and exceeding partner expectations, contributing to long-term client retention
- Canadian leader in OEM factory managed services, ITAD, and computer sales
- Completed bi-weekly payroll for 6-27 employees depending on workflow
Education
High School Diploma -
Sutton District High School
Sutton, ON06-1994
Skills
- Pricing Strategy
- SLA Management
- Client Relationship Building
- Staff Mentorship
- Root Cause Analysis
Accomplishments
- Supervised team of up to 27 staff members.
- Resolved product issue through OEM collaboration
- Achieved first steps in automation in 2015 by introducing customized network bootable WinPE that handled modern Secure Erase data-destruction, classification, functionality testing and hardware inventory tasks all in one easy-to-use GUI based menu.
- Modernized pricing by utilizing CAPEX/OPEN, variable and fixed rates to ensure the customer isn't being overcharged, or putting RFQ at risk and realizing actual profit margins.
Languages
English
Full Professional
Interests
I am a musician who started my own guitar pedal company as a hobby during the pandemic
Rabid hobbyist - I tend to learn things are relevant to my industry, like laser etching/cutting, 3D Printing and building AI servers using many different language library models, running on virtual machines I also enjoy fishing and camping
Timeline
Vice President of Technology
DCR Systems Group Inc
01.2019 - Current
Process Engineer
DCR Systems Group Inc
01.2015 - 01.2019
Lead Technician / Warranty Supervisor
DCR Systems Group Inc
01.2006 - 01.2015
High School Diploma -
Sutton District High School
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