Regal Rexnord is a global leader in industrial solutions, offering a wide range of motors, powertrain products and more, with an annual revenue exceeding $6 billion. Over its history, the company has grown through strategic mergers, including its integration with Rexnord and Ultra, positioning it as a prominent player in electric motors, power systems and cutting-edge technologies like microsurgery engines and air taxi partnerships with Honeywell. Tim Dickson is the company’s Chief Digital & Information Officer. Since joining Regal Rexnord nearly a year and a half ago, he has been instrumental in advancing the company’s global digital capabilities, enhancing e-commerce experiences and fostering innovation. With a career that includes serving as the CIO at Generac Power Systems, Dickson brings a wealth of experience and a track record of driving meaningful transformation at industrial manufacturing companies with storied histories.
Regal Rexnord’s Evolution and Vision
Regal Rexnord has evolved into a diverse, technology-driven organization by focusing on strategic growth and innovation. With a diverse array of products, the company’s portfolio reflects its commitment to pushing industrial boundaries. The integration of Rexnord and Ultra solidified Regal Rexnord’s standing as a global leader, further diversifying its offerings to include heat pumps, pool pumps and other cutting-edge technologies. “The strategic mergers and partnerships we’ve pursued, like our collaboration with Honeywell, reflect our commitment to staying at the forefront of industrial innovation,” Dickson underscored.
Dickson’s Role as CDIO
As the first CDIO at Regal Rexnord, Dickson’s mandate is clear: to drive digital growth and innovation in a traditionally manufacturing-centric industry. His focus has been on building a robust digital strategy, establishing new capabilities and proving the transformative potential of digital technologies. “Industrial manufacturing doesn’t typically grow fast, but by embracing digital technologies, we’ve opened up new opportunities to engage customers and expand wallet share,” Dickson explained. Early on, he created a VP of Corporate IT role to manage the foundational aspects of IT, allowing him to concentrate on digital innovation and strategy.
Fostering Innovation Through Hackathons
Dickson is a passionate advocate for fostering creativity, organizing hackathons in both Chicago and Hyderabad, India to harness his teams’ talent and spark innovation. These events led to the development of “RRXy,” a customer-facing generative AI chatbot, and RRXGPT, an internal chatbot improving employee access to resources. “When you combine the creativity of our teams with emerging technologies, you get tools like RRXy, which fundamentally change how customers interact with us,” Dickson noted. These initiatives have not only driven tangible business value but have also fostered a culture of innovation and collaboration across the company. Strategic vendor partnerships played a critical role, providing free training and introducing 10 to 12 new platforms to support these efforts.
Transforming the E-Commerce Experience
Under Dickson’s leadership, Regal Rexnord has undergone a complete redesign of its website, creating a modernized entry point for customers to explore the company’s extensive product portfolio. “The website redesign wasn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about making it easier for customers to find the right solutions,” Dickson said. Alongside the redesign, the introduction of a new content management system and e-commerce platform has streamlined the customer journey, with RRXy guiding users to tailored solutions. The timing of the redesign was also ideal for announcing new products and enhancing the company’s brand identity, ensuring customers and partners understand the breadth of Regal Rexnord’s capabilities.
Leveraging Data for AI and Generative AI
A key enabler of Regal Rexnord’s digital transformation has been its robust data infrastructure. The pre-existing implementation of Snowflake provided a unified data platform that Dickson immediately recognized as foundational for AI and generative AI applications. “Having clean, consolidated data was essential to driving the innovation we’ve achieved, from chatbots to new customer service tools,” he emphasized. This groundwork has allowed the company to adopt emerging technologies with confidence, streamlining operations and unlocking new opportunities for growth.
Future Trends and Opportunities
Looking ahead, Dickson is excited by the potential of agentic AI and other emerging technologies to improve customer interactions and internal processes. “The best part of my role is seeing tangible value from innovation, whether it’s improving service with agentic AI or streamlining operations with new methodologies,” he shared. By maintaining a disciplined approach to evaluating and deploying new technologies, Dickson ensures that Regal Rexnord stays ahead of industry trends while delivering measurable business impact. His focus on continuous learning and collaboration will undoubtedly drive further innovation in the years to come.
Dickson’s leadership as CDIO has positioned Regal Rexnord to embrace digital transformation, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance customer and employee experiences. Through a combination of strategic planning, team empowerment and innovative tools, he is not only driving growth but also setting a new standard for digital excellence in industrial manufacturing.
Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.
