Photograph by Mark Ostow Dan Sheehan
CIO of Dunkin' Brands
Interview by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
1
ON THE MENU
New analytics tools for point-of-sale data will let franchise owners see, for instance, how many egg sandwiches they're selling compared with outlets that have similar demographics. "Owners think about profitability. They want to keep customers coming back and buying more."
2
NOT SO FAST
Coffee competitor Starbucks has Wi-Fi in many of its locations, but that's because, unlike Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks shops are company-owned. "Getting buy-in from smaller mom-and-pop franchisees to invest in technologies like broadband is a challenge."
3
SPORTS NUT
Sheehan sits on his town's soccer board, coaches both a boys' and a girls' travel soccer team and a girls' travel basketball team, and umpires girls' major league softball. "Between my two kids, my wife, Michelle, and I travel between fields, gyms, and sports functions every weekend."
4
DREAM JOB
"I'd love to own a number of large sports bars on the ocean."
5
POINT MAN
A few years ago as CIO of direct-mail company Advo, Sheehan toyed with the idea of splitting his duties among several people, creating an office of the CIO. "It won't ever mesh. You need to be involved in all aspects of business processes. But it was an opportunity to think outside the box."
