About
Morris Stern. Technology executive, Winnipeg.
Most recently Vice President of Retail Technology, previously Vice President of Retail Systems. 15+ years leading enterprise technology across Canadian and US operations: ERP, M&A integration, retail systems, payments, store systems, healthcare ICT, and AI governance.
The short version
I am a lifelong Winnipegger. I studied here, built my early career here, and still live here. Over the last several years the work drifted south: first as Vice President of Retail Systems for a cross-border retail group operating in Canada and the US, then through a divestiture to one of North America’s largest furniture and home goods retailers, where I was most recently Vice President of Retail Technology, working remotely from Winnipeg. That engagement concluded in July 2026. I am now focused on the Manitoba market first.
Much of the record was built in high-volume retail because retail exposes weak technology leadership faster than almost any other industry. When the ERP stumbles, stores stop selling the same day. That environment taught me what it looks like when a point of sale rollout fails at go-live, when a migration creates data quality debt that takes two years to unwind, and when integration complexity quietly slows every new initiative. It also taught me how to prevent those outcomes.
The disciplines transfer to any enterprise that runs on systems it cannot afford to break: ERP and core platforms, integration architecture, payments, vendor governance, delivery governance, and AI governance. My delivery experience also spans provincial healthcare infrastructure, where I directed more than 50 concurrent ICT capital projects across hospital systems, and manufacturing, where I built the digital commerce and reporting foundations of a North American manufacturer.
Permanent executive leadership is the primary path. I also take on select advisory work through Stern Technology Advisory. There is no team behind the practice and no vendor incentive behind the advice.
Experience
Where the record comes from
Direct accountability for the systems, teams, vendors, and go-live decisions that most technology recommendations only describe from the outside. Employers, titles, and dates are on the executive profile.
Retail technology leadership
VP of Retail Systems, then most recently VP of Retail Technology
Led ERP, point of sale, store systems, ecommerce, payments, and integration programs for a cross-border retail group, then across a large North American retail network through a major post-acquisition platform conversion.
Capital infrastructure
Program Director, provincial ICT capital projects
Directed more than 50 concurrent healthcare ICT capital projects across hospitals and health regions, with governance for budget, schedule, and quality.
Manufacturing and commerce
Head of IT and business solutions
Launched direct-to-consumer and marketplace channels for a North American manufacturer, integrated EDI and commerce workflows, and built executive sales and inventory reporting.
Select advisory
Stern Technology Advisory
Select advisory work for retailers, manufacturers, and private equity operators on transformation, ERP, and store technology decisions. Secondary to executive leadership.
How I work
Four principles that shape every program, in an executive seat or an advisory one.
01
Clarity first
Define the outcome and the constraints before recommending a path. Strategy without operational reality is expensive.
02
Practical architecture
Reduce complexity and improve data trust. The best architecture is the one your team can govern and your vendors can execute.
03
Governance that respects operations
Staged delivery, readiness checks, and decision cadences designed around operational uptime, seasonal peaks, and mission-critical constraints, not just project timelines.
04
Adoption is part of delivery
Store readiness, training strategy, and stabilization governance are built into the program plan from day one.
Areas of expertise
Executive background
The full career record
Employers, titles, dates, program outcomes, and the mandates I am focused on. Written for recruiters, hiring committees, and boards.
Common questions
Roles, advisory, and independence
- What is Morris focused on now?
- Permanent executive leadership mandates are the primary path: VP of Technology, CTO, CIO, and Chief Digital Officer roles, Winnipeg and Manitoba first, with remote and hybrid arrangements across Canada and the United States. The executive profile page has the full career record.
- Does Morris still take advisory work?
- Selectively, and secondary to executive work. Advisory runs through Stern Technology Advisory and is scoped to a specific decision: a transformation or ERP direction, a program that needs stabilizing, or a store technology program that needs to become reliable at chain scale. There is no team behind the practice.
- Is the advice independent of software vendors?
- Yes. There is no software resale, no referral fees, and no implementation partner relationship influencing recommendations. Vendor and systems integrator decisions are evaluated against business fit, operating constraints, integration risk, and total cost.
Next steps
The executive profile carries the full career record. Selected work shows how the programs were run.