Badger Technologies Names Retail Industry Veteran John Gehre CEO, Expands Leadership Team

New executive leadership team and Strategic Advisory Board position the company for its next phase of growth as retailers increasingly seek AI-powered solutions to improve operational performance, inventory visibility and store execution.

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL), today announced the appointment of retail industry veteran John Gehre as Chief Executive Officer, alongside expanded leadership roles for Chris Green and Paul Ambruso, and the formation of the company's inaugural Strategic Advisory Board.

The appointments mark a milestone in the company's development, as retailers increasingly seek AI-powered retail intelligence solutions to improve inventory visibility, operational execution and business performance. Building on its foundation as a pioneer in autonomous retail robotics, Badger Technologies continues to expand its capabilities, leveraging robotics and AI to transform operational data into actionable insights that improve execution, accelerate decision-making and drive stronger business outcomes.

John Gehre Appointed Chief Executive Officer

Gehre brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience spanning merchandising, inventory management, supply chain and store operations for top retailers, including Bass Pro Shops, Michaels, The Container Store and H-E-B. Throughout his career, he has led large-scale transformation initiatives that improved operational performance, enhanced customer experiences and drove profitable growth.

As CEO, Gehre will lead Badger Technologies' next phase of growth, focused on accelerating innovation across the robotics and AI capabilities that power the company’s retail intelligence solutions, strengthening customer relationships and expanding adoption of its platform across the retail industry.

“Having spent more than two decades on the frontlines of large retail organizations, I've seen firsthand how difficult it can be to make the right decisions when information is fragmented across teams, systems and stores,” said Gehre. “Retailers are entering a new era where robotics and AI are moving from experimentation to operational necessity. What attracted me to Badger Technologies is its ability to turn operational data into actionable intelligence—helping retailers see around corners, align teams, and act with greater confidence.”

“The company has built a strong foundation and earned the trust of leading retailers, and I'm excited to build on that momentum as we expand our impact and help make intelligence a strategic advantage for every retailer—from the store floor to the executive suite.”

“John’s extensive background in retail operations, merchandising strategy, and customer-centric leadership uniquely positions him to lead Badger Technologies into its next chapter,” said Rafael Renno, Senior Vice President of Global Business Units, Connected Living and Digital Commerce, at Jabil. “Coupled with the strategic oversight of its Advisory Board, this transition reinforces the company’s ability to help retailers navigate complex operating environments, maximizing both workforce productivity and real-time operational visibility through physical AI.”

Strengthening the Executive Leadership Team

Badger Technologies also announced expanded leadership roles for Chris Green and Paul Ambruso. Together, Green and Ambruso bring deep expertise spanning commercial strategy, customer engagement, robotics, AI and product innovation, helping position the company to scale its retail intelligence platform and meet growing demand from retailers.

Green has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer and will continue leading Badger Technologies' commercial organization, including customer success, strategic partnerships, revenue operations, enterprise sales and marketing. A commercial growth executive with nearly three decades of experience across retail, SaaS, telecommunications, food and beverage and retail automation, Green has built the company’s commercial organization from the ground up, playing a key role in accelerating growth and market expansion.

Ambruso has been appointed Chief Technology Officer and will lead the company's technology strategy, product development, AI, computer vision, cloud platforms, analytics and engineering operations. A veteran technology and product executive, Ambruso brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning robotics, automation, enterprise technology, product management and digital transformation. Prior to joining Badger Technologies, he held senior leadership positions at Berkshire Grey, HP, Compaq and Lexmark, where he led product innovation, technology strategy and operational transformation initiatives.

Introducing the Badger Technologies Strategic Advisory Board

Alongside its expanded executive leadership team, Badger Technologies announced the formation of its Strategic Advisory Board, bringing together accomplished leaders whose collective expertise spans retail operations, merchandising, consumer goods, technology, analytics, supply chain and risk management.

The Advisory Board will provide strategic guidance as the company continues to scale its platform, strengthen retailer partnerships and identify new opportunities to create value for retailers, consumer brands and industry partners.

The inaugural Advisory Board members include:

Pamela Kohn

Kohn is the former Chief Merchandising Officer for Rite Aid, Sally Beauty, and Family Dollar. Her thirteen-year Walmart career involved multiple key global leadership roles as President and Executive Vice President. She is a transformational retail executive and board director who has led multi-billion-dollar businesses, enterprise turnarounds, and end-to-end retail operations spanning merchandising, supply chain, marketing and customer experience.

Jeff Williams

Williams is a trusted strategic advisor to boards and C-suite leaders across consumer, retail, data, analytics, media and technology companies, helping organizations accelerate growth, modernize commercial capabilities and unlock new sources of enterprise value. Previously, he held officer and executive level roles including Chief Retail Officer at Quotient, Chief Commercial Officer at Replenium, and SVP U.S. Retail, Amazon Global, and Industry Relations at NielsenIQ.

Michael Graen

A former Walmart, Procter & Gamble and CROSSMARK executive, Graen has more than 45 years of experience leading retail technology, supply chain innovation and inventory intelligence initiatives. As a recognized industry pioneer in RFID, robotics and retail automation, Graen has helped retailers and suppliers improve visibility, execution and omnichannel inventory accuracy at scale.

Alex Yakulis

Yakulis is a consumer goods and retail executive with 45 years of experience spanning CPG manufacturers, retailers, and headquarter sales agencies. Drawing on decades of leadership in retail strategy, retail execution, and digital commerce, he helps brands and retailers accelerate growth through customer-centric innovation and effective go-to-market strategies.

Suzy Monford

Former Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Grocers Group, Monford is a transformational retail executive, board director, two-time Progressive Grocer Top Woman in Grocery, Top Industry Disruptor and Top Woman in Retail Technology. With leadership experience spanning Kroger, H-E-B, Heritage Grocers Group, and both Woolworths and Coles in Australia, she is recognized for driving merchandising, operational excellence, digital innovation and customer-centric growth across large-scale retail organizations.

Randy Salley

A technology executive, strategic advisor and board member for companies ranging from the Fortune 1 to early stage technology startups, Randy has more than four decades of experience leading enterprise technology, retail innovation, operational transformation and large-scale digital modernization. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Walmart Technology, where he helped drive technology strategy and transformation at the world's largest retailer.

Brand Elverston

Elverston is a retail risk management and asset protection executive with deep expertise in large-scale technology deployment, operational security, loss prevention and enterprise-wide risk mitigation strategies. Former Director of Asset Protection Strategic Initiatives at Walmart, he is recognized for helping retailers integrate emerging technologies that improve safety, operational performance and business resilience at scale.

"The retail industry has entered an era where autonomous operations, AI-driven intelligence, and robotics are fundamentally reshaping how retailers improve execution and drive profitable growth," said Jeff Williams. "Badger Technologies is uniquely positioned at the convergence of these transformative forces, helping retailers across all channels of trade move from reactive operations to intelligent, data-driven decision making.”

About Badger Technologies

Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL), is a leading provider of autonomous retail robotics and AI-powered retail intelligence solutions. The company's platform combines robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision and real-time analytics to help retailers improve inventory visibility, operational execution, safety and overall store performance. Badger Technologies serves grocery, home improvement, specialty retail and other retail sectors across North America.