Distinguished Mechanical Engineer, 2022
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1988
JC earned a BS with honors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in Automotive Engineering, in 1988. During his tenure at UT, JC served first as Secretary, and then as President, of the Society of Automotive Engineers and spent countless hours neglecting his studies so he and a very dedicated team to hands-on engineers could hand build UT’s entries into the annual national competition. (Professor Ron Mathews’ support of this program must be acknowledged and honored here.) JC also spent engineering internships at GM in Flint Michigan, and IBM in Austin while pursuing his degree.
After school, the automotive industry was not doing well, so JC landed his first job with IBM as a printer engineer in Charlotte, NC. In less than a year, his career took a fast turn toward software, starting as a development consultant focused on Rapid Custom Software Delivery with IBM Consulting. After this brave step forward, JC had a progression of interesting software development roles in his 34-year career, providing him the opportunity to lead teams in bringing innovative capabilities to life for brands like Whole Foods, Amazon, Neiman Marcus, JC Penney, and Home Depot.
Most recently, JC joined The Home Depot as Vice President of Technology for the Online, Marketing, and Customer businesses. The technology capabilities that support these areas include the HomeDepot.com website (the fifth largest eCommerce site in the US) and mobile apps, proprietary Search, Recommendations, and Personalization platforms, Customer Data and Loyalty, Ad Tech and Monetization, Content Management and Publishing Tools, E-mail systems, and related aspects of Customer Care and Delivery and Pickup services.
Prior to The Home Depot, JC was Vice President of Online at Amazon and Whole Foods in Austin for six years, where he was responsible for Web and Mobile, Marketing, Delivery and Pickup, and Loyalty (Amazon Prime at Whole Foods) technologies. JC was also recently appointed as Head of Home Depot Technology’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, and is an avid advocate and ally for diversity and innovation in all aspects of life.
JC met his wife, Dee, at UT, and they have been happily married for 33 years. Their son, Julian, is an aspiring chef at Suerte in East Austin, and at 26 years of age, has the whole world in front of him.