M. Shad Collins | Enterprise Growth Architect | CIO

Building Outcomes That Last

For more than three decades, Shad Collins has worked at the intersection of strategy, technology, and process—helping organizations move beyond isolated projects and KPIs to build systems that create outcomes that endure.

His career began early. By fifteen, he launched his first company building computers and technology solutions for small businesses. That early obsession with how things connect—systems, people, and results—became the foundation of a lifelong focus on integration.

Shad spent his foundational years at Digital Equipment Corporation, Midstate Mills, and BellSouth, where he learned enterprise-scale design and led large, cross-functional deployments. His work for companies like Procter & Gamble, Fidelity, Whirlpool, and Florida Power & Light established him as a leader who could translate technical complexity into business clarity.

As VP of Information Technology (CIO and Officer) at Bojangles’, he helped guide the company from a regional chain into a national brand. He led enterprise-wide Point of Sale (POS) modernization, data warehousing, and business intelligence initiatives supporting more than 18,000 employees. His teams consistently exceeded Tier-1 audit and PCI-DSS standards and delivered operational structures that supported the company’s successful 2015 IPO.

Shad later co-founded Digital Alchemy Solutions, providing integration and modernization services for mid-cap organizations, and served as SVP and Chief Information Officer at Frederick Mutual Insurance, where he led the insurer’s digital transformation. His leadership expanded operations from two to five states, launched new product verticals, and helped grow revenue from $17 million to $27 million—integrating technology, process redesign, and cross-functional alignment to modernize a company founded in 1843.

Today, Shad serves as VP of Information Management (CIO) at Meridian Bird Removal, a nationwide wildlife management company serving Fortune 100 clients. His focus is building integrated companies—aligning people, process, and technology into coherent systems that reduce friction, strengthen operations, and produce measurable and lasting outcomes.

Shad leads with integrity, empathy, and clarity. He believes every organization works better when people understand the purpose, processes align with reality, and technology amplifies—not hinders—the outcomes the business needs. His work centers on creating systems that scale, cultures that collaborate, and results that endure.