Thor Industries, Inc., the owner of the Airstream, CrossDoads, CruiserRV, Dutchman, Enter, Heartland RV, Highland Ridge RV, Jayco, Keystone, KZ, Starcraft, Thor, Tiffen, and Venture RV brands, has promoted Ryan Biren to chief information officer (CIO), a newly created executive officer role.
The company said in a media release that Biren’s appointment “underscores Thor’s decisive commitment to advancing its enterprise data, digital and artificial intelligence strategies.”
Biren joined Thor in February 2024 as VP of Corporate Development, where he was credited with “developing key data platforms utilized by the company to improve its performance.” Prior to joining Thor, Biren was a senior VP with Camping World Holdings.
As CIO and an executive officer, Biren will reportedly lead Thor’s North American IT, data, analytics, IT controls, and digital platform strategy, “unlocking enterprise-wide value from data, accelerating AI-driven innovation and strengthening Thor’s competitive advantage in an increasingly digital marketplace.”
“This is more than a title change; it is an important strategic step for Thor to take,” said Bob Martin, president and CEO, Thor Industries. “Data, analytics and AI are central to the next era of value creation at Thor. Elevating the CIO role to the executive leadership team reflects how seriously we are investing in these capabilities to power smarter decisions, stronger operating performance and differentiated customer experiences.”
Thor noted in a media release that its operating companies have “built strong and independent technology foundations that support its decentralized operating model.”
“The updated reporting structure, which includes functional reporting of operating company IT leaders to the CIO, is designed to harmonize enterprise standards, strengthen interoperability and accelerate cross-brand digital initiatives while preserving the autonomy that drives Thor’s entrepreneurial culture,” the company said.
“Looking ahead, Thor is making the deliberate investments necessary to fully unlock the value of our enterprise data and digital capabilities. The potential impact on our operations is transformative. From how we recruit and develop talent to how we build, sell, and support our products, data and AI will redefine our operating discipline and create measurable advantages across the entire value chain,” stated Todd Woelfer, chief operating officer of Thor Industries.
Images courtesy Thor Industries
