Garret Walti is the Director of Technology at DRG. Initially hired as an IT Administrator, Garret is a problem solver by nature. “I love seeing how technology can really drive bottom line profits and provide a more seamless experience for our customers and our team members,” he says.
“I love innovation … how we can integrate new technologies to streamline operations.” -Garret Walti, Director of Technology
Garret spearheaded the soon-to-be-released “MyDRG” intranet platform, which we’re preparing to launch third quarter. Billed as a “one-stop shop” for all DRG apps, the goal is to streamline communication for DRG’s frontline employees all the way up to our Executive Team. “It’s going to be a fantastic experience,” Garret promises.
Aside from planning MyDRG’s launch, another one of Garret’s big wins includes moving team tasks to the monday.com project management platform. He’s also moved the needle on phishing emails, decreasing the click rate from 25% to just 4%.
So Long, SoCal!
So how did a former SoCal resident end up working for DRG in Las Vegas, NV? Let’s just say, he made his way here in a Volkswagen Beetle. Garret’s Tech career began with Best Buy in 2003; he later went on to work for Geek Squad. After 10 years of experience in stores and in the field, Garret’s location closed in 2012. This set him on the path to starting his own IT Consulting business.
By this point in his career journey, Garret and his family were looking to get out of Southern California. “We just took the plunge and made the trip,” he says. Once his wife was set up with a job in the medical field, Garret decided he needed a new challenge.
The QSR industry took Garret by surprise, but he quickly immersed himself in it. “It was quite the experience learning QSR,” he shares.
“What I like about this business … it’s all about the customer,” Garret says. Having gotten his start in customer service, joining a restaurant franchisee felt like a full circle moment.
Future Leader
Garret describes his leadership style as grabbing the bull by the horns. And that’s just what he did — he immediately got to work at DRG. “Since taking over the Director role, we’ve completely unified our Technology Department,” he shares of the progress.
A clear communicator, Garret also made his career goals known upon his arrival. “I don’t want to be just an IT guy for the rest of my life,” he says he told his boss, Jason Dunn, our VP of Ops. He continued, “I have some goals. Help me achieve those goals.”
According to Garret, Jason did a great job of steering him towards that career advancement.
“What I love most about DRG is the culture of it being okay to speak your mind.” – Garret Walti, Director of Technology
As for his future with DRG, Garret believes the sky’s the limit. “My goal when it comes to Diversified Restaurant Group is really to be the authority on technology,” he shares.
Garret is passionate about innovation and technology, and how it can make team members’ lives easier. With innovation as one of our core values, this is music to our ears!
