Full Name
Mike Thyken
Job Title
CTO
Company
CaringBridge
Speaker Bio
Mike Thyken is CTO at CaringBridge. CaringBridge is a Minnesota based, global non-profit dedicated to helping people going through health journeys. Since 1997 almost 800,000 CaringBridge sites have been created that support more than 30 million unique visitors per year. More than one in eleven people in the United States have used CaringBridge to rally support for a loved one last year.
Thyken has more than 35 years of information systems and technology experience. Prior to CaringBridge, he was Chief Information Officer at both SunOpta Incorporated, a leading global organic food company specializing in sourcing, processing and packaging of natural and certified organic food products, and at Select Comfort, where he led the IS organization through the successful corporate turnaround and implemented scalable and flexible systems to support Select Comfort’s rapid growth and expansion in the sleep industry. Those systems supported an integrated multi-channel sales model and a “build to order” lean manufacturing process. As recognition, the IS organization was named to the CIO 100.
In addition, Mr. Thyken has been Vice President, IT at Merrill Corporation. Merrill Corporation provides the world’s leading legal, financial and corporate professionals with a suite of advanced services as well as secure web-based tools to gather, organize and manage the confidential and time-sensitive information related to their matters or transactions. Over his career, he has also Thyken led information systems and technology organizations for Jostens, Target Stores and IBM.
Thyken received his undergraduate degree from the University of St. Thomas in 1983 and his MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in 1991.
Thyken also shares his expertise as a member of the Board of Directors of Braun Intertec, a leading engineering firm, and Summit Brewing Company, the largest craft brewer in Minnesota. He also Chairs the Board of Directors for STARBASE MN, a STEM oriented educational non-profit, and is deeply involved with his undergraduate alma mater as Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board for the University of St. Thomas’ Graduate Programs in Software, and as a member of the Board of Governors for the University of St. Thomas’ College of Engineering.
Thyken has more than 35 years of information systems and technology experience. Prior to CaringBridge, he was Chief Information Officer at both SunOpta Incorporated, a leading global organic food company specializing in sourcing, processing and packaging of natural and certified organic food products, and at Select Comfort, where he led the IS organization through the successful corporate turnaround and implemented scalable and flexible systems to support Select Comfort’s rapid growth and expansion in the sleep industry. Those systems supported an integrated multi-channel sales model and a “build to order” lean manufacturing process. As recognition, the IS organization was named to the CIO 100.
In addition, Mr. Thyken has been Vice President, IT at Merrill Corporation. Merrill Corporation provides the world’s leading legal, financial and corporate professionals with a suite of advanced services as well as secure web-based tools to gather, organize and manage the confidential and time-sensitive information related to their matters or transactions. Over his career, he has also Thyken led information systems and technology organizations for Jostens, Target Stores and IBM.
Thyken received his undergraduate degree from the University of St. Thomas in 1983 and his MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in 1991.
Thyken also shares his expertise as a member of the Board of Directors of Braun Intertec, a leading engineering firm, and Summit Brewing Company, the largest craft brewer in Minnesota. He also Chairs the Board of Directors for STARBASE MN, a STEM oriented educational non-profit, and is deeply involved with his undergraduate alma mater as Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board for the University of St. Thomas’ Graduate Programs in Software, and as a member of the Board of Governors for the University of St. Thomas’ College of Engineering.
