Thomas Berrington serves as CIO of French Brothers Homes, bringing a unique career shift from the food service industry into data-driven construction operations. His journey into IT started with designing a cloud-based POS system and evolved through an MBA focused on analytics, positioning him to lead strategic technology integration in a traditionally analog industry. As the first-ever technology hire at French Brothers Homes, Thomas has helped transform the builder’s operations by implementing scalable systems, refining data processes, and leveraging AI to streamline quality assurance and project scheduling. His experience illustrates how construction companies can benefit tremendously from modern IT leadership and data infrastructure. At French Brothers, data has become an operational asset—and Thomas is driving the charge.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Why mid-size builders need CIOs and IT departments to scale efficiently
- How data moved French Brothers from Excel to Power BI and smarter analytics
- What Thomas learned from transitioning out of the restaurant industry into IT
- How clean data models accelerate business insight and reporting
- The real-world use cases for AI in construction and scheduling
- Why CIOs must focus more on structure than chasing every new tech trend
- How tech professionals can break into underserved industries and make a huge impact
In this episode…
Thomas Berrington shares how his unconventional path from managing restaurants to becoming CIO of a major home builder reflects a broader trend: industries once lagging in tech are now actively seeking data-first leadership. At French Brothers Homes, building 200 homes annually demanded a shift from spreadsheets and manual input to clean, structured systems that could support scalability. Thomas details how he helped transition the company by optimizing its ERP usage, standardizing reporting with Power BI, and integrating data pipelines for better decision-making across operations.
He also dives into how AI and Copilot tools are improving efficiency—from rephrasing customer communication to detecting quality assurance issues in home photos using machine learning. These innovations not only reduce delays but improve the homeowner experience. Looking ahead, Thomas is exploring AI-assisted project scheduling for semi-custom builds, aiming to dynamically adjust trade workflows and reduce downtime.
In his advice to aspiring IT professionals, Thomas emphasizes the value of strategic thinking and industry focus. He notes that while sectors like development are crowded, underserved industries like construction offer massive opportunities for tech-driven professionals to stand out and drive transformation. His message is clear: structure is the backbone of technology—and with the right approach, you don’t need to be in Silicon Valley to make a major impact.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Matthew Connor on LinkedInCyberLynx
Thomas Berrington on LinkedIn
French Brothers Homes Website
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