Hardlines distributor Orgill has added another retail industry veteran to its executive leadership team with the hiring of Sharmeelee “Sharms” Bala as its Chief Digital and Information Officer.

Effective Dec. 1, Bala will join Orgill and bring with her more than 20 years of “transformative technology and leadership experience.” She joins a group that already includes several retail industry veterans, such as President and CEO Boyden Moore, who co-founded Central Network Retail Group, and Executive Vice President and COO Clay Jackson, who held a vice president role at Tractor Supply Co.

“We have always believed that to serve retailers, you need to understand the real-world challenges they face,” Moore said in a Nov. 25 news release. “Sharms’ extensive retail background, her subject-matter expertise and her leadership style align perfectly with Orgill’s vision for a more digitally empowered future — for our company and for the thousands of independent retailers we serve.”

Most recently, Bala served as CIO and head of product management for JCPenney (Catalyst Brands), where she led a major digital transformation that generated more than $50 million in incremental sales growth, modernized store technologies and delivered significant operational efficiencies. Her previous roles at Gap Inc. and Walmart included oversight of global engineering, merchandising systems, logistics, enterprise data platforms and global master data management.

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“Her accomplishments in areas like AI-driven innovation, supply chain modernization and enterprise transformation will put us in a much stronger position to accelerate the next chapter of growth for Orgill and our customers,” Moore said. “The experience and expertise she brings to our team ensures that we can help our customers stay on the leading edge of technology innovation and implementation within a real-world retail framework.”

In her role, Bala will oversee Orgill’s entire internal technology organization, which was recently restructured to better meet the needs of the company and its customers. Her initial areas of focus will include mainframe development and operations, enterprise software development and architecture, enterprise applications and project management, and the ongoing evolution of Orgill’s technical infrastructure.

Bala’s broader mandate within the company includes strengthening Orgill’s digital capabilities, enhancing customer- and dealer-facing technologies, expanding data analytics and improving supply chain visibility and optimization.

“Both the distribution and retail industries are undergoing rapid digital disruption,” Bala said. “I’m excited to join a company that is investing in innovation where it makes sense, harnessing technology to better serve its customers and helping those customers use technology to enhance their own operations. I look forward to building on the strong foundation at Orgill and partnering across the organization to deliver innovative solutions that drive value, agility and exceptional customer experience.”

Jackson adds: “As CDIO, Sharms will play a central role in helping Orgill’s continued evolution amidst industry transformation —from enhanced digital expectations to the need for predictive, efficient merchandise, supply chain, and retail operations. Bringing on top-tier thought leaders like Bala underscores our commitment to investing wherever needed to ensure that Orgill and our customers are positioned to thrive for years to come.”