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Jason Naples
Sr. Director, Information Technology at UNFI
Professional Background
Jason Naples is a highly experienced and awarded IT professional specialized in delivering custom enterprise solutions tailored specifically for the retail sector. With a career spanning several years, Jason has acquired extensive expertise in key areas such as Point of Sale (POS) systems, Labor Management, Digital Marketing, and Mobility solutions. His professional journey reflects a strong commitment to driving technological advancements that align with business needs, particularly in the fast-paced world of retail.
With a proven track record of leading and mentoring technical development teams, both onshore and offshore, Jason has demonstrated exceptional skills in project estimations, fostering collaboration between IT and business units. His ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between technical requirements and business objectives has made him an invaluable asset in any organization.
Jason's role as a Sr. Director of Information Technology at UNFI sees him overseeing vital projects that involve the architectural design and implementation of custom enterprise software solutions. His collaborative approach empowers his teams to contribute significantly to Enterprise review boards, Centers of Excellence (COEs), and candidate review assessments. Jason's leadership style emphasizes the importance of teamwork and continuous learning to drive the success of IT initiatives.
Education and Achievements
Jason Naples possesses an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from Ohlone College, complemented by various Computer Science and Management Information Systems (CS/MIS) certifications. His educational background lays a solid foundation for his technical acumen and comprehension of business strategies.
In addition to his academic achievements, Jason has engaged in professional development with the CIO Executive Council's Pathways Leadership Program. This experience has further honed his leadership, business, and technology management skills, preparing him to face the challenges and responsibilities associated with high-level IT roles.
Notable Achievements
Throughout his distinguished career, Jason has been recognized for his contributions to the IT landscape, particularly within the retail domain. His tenure at SUPERVALU, where he held several roles including Sr. Director of Technical Services, Director of Technical Services, Sr. IT Manager, and Principal Software Engineer, has allowed him to strategically influence technology implementation and optimization.
At each of these levels, Jason has consistently displayed a forward-thinking mindset, enabling the organizations he has served to improve operational efficiency and elevate customer experiences through technology. His previous stints as a Sr. Systems Analyst at Albertsons and a Sr. Programmer Analyst at American Stores further underline his breadth of experience and his ability to adapt to different technical environments.
Leadership and Team Building
Jason is a strong team builder, known for cultivating environments where technical team members are encouraged to actively participate in critical decision-making processes. His leadership philosophy revolves around empowerment, ensuring that every team member feels valued and instrumental in the company's success. Jason's approach has not only led to enhanced team dynamics but has also resulted in improved project outcomes and higher employee satisfaction.
In his role at UNFI, Jason leads initiatives that require comprehensive knowledge of large retail enterprise infrastructures, both centralized and distributed. His ability to oversee complex systems and manage project timelines with finesse is a testament to his exceptional organizational skills and commitment to excellence in IT.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
In an industry that is perpetually evolving, Jason recognizes the significance of continuous improvement and innovation. He actively encourages his teams to stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends, ensuring that the solutions they create remain robust and relevant. By fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability, Jason helps his organizations maintain a competitive edge in the fast-paced retail landscape.
Community Involvement and Networking
Jason is not just a notable figure within his organizations; he also contributes to the broader IT community. Engaging with peers through networking events and professional organizations, he is an advocate for best practices in IT management and development. His involvement reflects a commitment to both personal and professional growth, as well as a desire to uplift the industry as a whole.
Conclusion
With a strong background in custom enterprise solutions and a rich history of leadership in the retail IT sector, Jason Naples stands out as a dedicated professional intent on delivering exceptional outcomes for his organizations and the industry. His well-rounded education, extensive experience, and commitment to fostering teamwork and innovation make him a leader to watch in the field of information technology.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.