La-Z-Boy Names Behen to Key Information Technology Post

June 13, 2017  by Larry Thomas in Executive Changes, Industry   

Reporting to Kurt Darrow, chairman, president and CEO, Behen will be responsible for leading, developing, expanding and overseeing all aspects of information technology throughout the La-Z-Boy organization, including IT strategy, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, ERP deployment, network optimization, and procuring new technologies.                                            

“David will lead the technological infrastructure and cybersecurity planning for the organization.  In this critical role, he will ensure optimal technology performance for the company to support La-Z-Boy’s future growth and success across our manufacturing and retail operations,” Darrow said. “He brings a wealth of experience to La-Z-Boy and will undoubtedly make a significant contribution as we continue to expand and enhance our technological footprint across many disciplines throughout the organization.”

Most recently, Behen led the IT organization for the State of Michigan as chief information officer and director of the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.  While there, he was responsible for strategic planning initiatives and directed administrative operations for the state government agency, with 2,800 employees, which provides business services to state agencies with 47,000 employees and over 9.4 million citizens of Michigan.

Before that, he was vice president/chief information officer of GDI Infotech and co-founder/chief business officer of Infoready Corporation, a spin-off of GDI.

He has served as a keynote speaker, expert panelist, and moderator for national and international audiences providing expertise on information technology, cyber security, data management, and leadership.

“I look forward to working with the multi-faceted technology strategies associated with a company involved in the retail arena as well as one with extensive manufacturing operations,” Behen said. “Today, IT systems and business applications are necessary to ensure success externally to provide excellent service to our many independent dealers and end consumers as well as internally as we manage our business for productivity and efficiency.  We have an excellent IT team and I am confident we will continue to develop our systems and capabilities to further enhance and expand our technology platforms.”