Reynolds Executive Aaron Gwinner named Consumer Goods Technology CIO of the Year

Reynolds Chief Information Officer and SVP of Digital Business Solutions is honored for making a demonstrable business impact through implementation and successful use of technology.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reynolds American Inc. is proud to share that Aaron Gwinner, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Digital Business Solutions for the Reynolds group of companies ("Reynolds"), won the 2022 Consumer Goods Technology (CGT) CIO of the Year Award.

The CIO of the Year Award, presented by CGT, recognizes a consumer goods company's senior-most technology leader who has made a significant impact through the implementation and utilization of successful technology.

Those who nominated Gwinner applaud his success in driving transformation within the organization and, in turn, developing a strong company culture. Colleagues, peers, and business partners alike celebrate Gwinner's work to carry out the company's purpose of building A Better Tomorrow™, which focuses on reducing the health and environmental impacts of the tobacco business.

"Aaron has been a driving force behind the creation of new capabilities that allow us to operate a stronger, faster, and simpler organization," said Guy Meldrum, Chief Executive Officer at Reynolds. "His exceptional leadership continues to accelerate the transformation of our business. All of us at Reynolds congratulate him on this outstanding achievement."

Since joining Reynolds in 2019, Gwinner's impact has been substantial, with notable accomplishments including launching a new e-commerce platform that improved e-commerce growth and enhanced mobile website performance by 500 percent. Gwinner attributed these successes, among others, to his team of more than 400 professionals for the excellent work they do every day.

Additionally, his team established a hub in Silicon Valley to partner on new technology innovations, replaced all aging marketing platforms and websites while migrating 80% of the company data to the cloud, and built a new data science and eCommerce team that increased mobile conversion by 35% while delivering $200mm in benefits from data analytics.

"It is an honor to receive CGT's CIO of the Year award and a testament to our remarkable teams at the helm of our digital transformation," said Aaron Gwinner. "They're the ones who do the work. My job is to set a clear vision, get the roadblocks out of their way, and empower them to deliver. When they deliver, and we get recognized for it, I think it's a great endorsement of my team and the fantastic work they've done. Thank you to CGT and all those who submitted nominations for this extraordinary recognition."

Gwinner is the 10^th winner of the CGT CIO of the Year Award. Winners of the CGT CIO of the Year Award are annually nominated by colleagues, peers, and business partners. Past winners include Chief Information Officers from Mars Incorporated, Unilever, Mondelez International, Hormel Foods and Hillshire Brands.

To learn more about Reynolds and it's a Better Tomorrow™ journey, visit www.reynoldsamerican.com. 

To learn more about Consumer Goods Technology and the CIO Awards, visit www.consumergoods.com/cio-awards-2022.

About Reynolds American Inc.
Reynolds American Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the BAT Group, and the U.S. parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., American Snuff Company, LLC, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, and Modoral Brands Inc. To learn more about Reynolds American Inc. and its operating companies, please visit www.reynoldsamerican.com.   

Media Contact:
Chris Zona, Senior Director, Business & Internal Communications, Reynolds American Inc.
[email protected] 

SOURCE Reynolds American Inc.