Leadership

Jim Hasty

Founder and President, The Cogle Group

Jim Hasty is the Founder and President of The Cogle Group, a leading technology consulting and software development firm that specializes in delivering high-velocity, high-quality software solutions for growing businesses. With over 30 years of experience in technology leadership, business development, and strategic partnerships, Jim brings a wealth of expertise to his role as a technology executive and entrepreneur.

Professional Experience

Jim’s extensive career spans leadership roles at some of the most recognized technology and enterprise companies in the world including EDS, CAP Gemini, IBM, ARRIS (now CommScope), Macy’s, Cox Communications and Magenic (now part of Cognizant).

During his tenure at Magenic, Jim demonstrated exceptional leadership in multiple roles, including Director of Enterprise Sales where he served as a client advocate and business development leader and as General Manager for Sales and Delivery for the South Region, where he was responsible for strategic planning and management of regional sales and delivery teams distributed globally, as well as managing P&L, contracts, hiring of personnel and executive account management.

Prior to Magenic, Jim held senior management positions at Cox Communications and Macy’s where he led multiple software development and Dev Ops teams in the successful achievement of key initiatives.

Jim’s earlier career includes significant roles at ARRIS (CommScope), where he served as Senior Manager of Business Development and Partnership Management developing and managing strategic partnerships, reseller and OEM relationships. At IBM, he was Global Deployment Manager for e-commerce and played a key role in the initial build and launch of ShopIBM across North America, Australia, Japan, and Europe.

Leadership and Community Involvement

Jim has served as an Executive Board Member of The Executive Leadership Institute and also served on the board of Family Promise Gwinnett, a non-profit that helps provide short term housing for families in need. Jim and his family continue to serve and give back to the community locally and globally.

Founding The Cogle Group

Drawing from his extensive experience in technology consulting, business development, and strategic partnerships, Jim founded The Cogle Group to address the critical need for high-velocity, high-quality software solutions in today’s competitive business environment. Under his leadership, The Cogle Group has established itself as a trusted partner for companies seeking strategic technology guidance, custom software development, and digital transformation initiatives.
Jim’s approach with The Cogle Group emphasizes integrity, transparency, and commitment to client success—values forged through decades of building and managing successful client relationships. His deep understanding of both technology solutions and business operations enables The Cogle Group to serve as more than just a development firm, but as a true strategic partner for organizations navigating complex technology challenges.

Jim holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from The University of Alabama (home of the Crimson Tide with 18 National Championships)

Todd Merril

Fractional & Interim CTO | Technology Strategy | Digital Transformation
Todd Merrill is an accomplished technology executive who partners with growth-stage companies as a fractional and interim CTO. With over 25 years of experience building and scaling technology organizations, Todd helps businesses accelerate growth, modernize their technology stack, and build world-class engineering teams.
As a Partner at Cogle Group, Todd brings a unique combination of entrepreneurial experience, technical expertise, and strategic business acumen to every engagement. He has successfully led technology transformations at companies ranging from venture-backed startups to established enterprises, with particular expertise in SaaS platforms, AI/ML applications, and digital transformation initiatives.
Recent Leadership Roles
Todd’s recent CTO positions span diverse industries, demonstrating his ability to quickly understand business contexts and deliver technology solutions that drive measurable results:

AirWorks – Led technology strategy for this ML/computer vision company, building geospatial intelligence solutions for enterprise clients
Engel & Völkers Americas – Drove digital transformation for this luxury real estate platform, modernizing systems and improving agent productivity
Multiple Fintech Organizations – Guided payment processing and financial technology companies through scaling challenges and regulatory requirements

Entrepreneurial Foundation
Beyond his corporate leadership roles, Todd has co-founded multiple successful technology companies, including:

Global Crypto Systems – Founded and led this cybersecurity company, developing patented cryptography and steganography technologies for secure banking authentication
HireIQ – Pioneered AI-powered emotion extraction from natural language for predictive hiring analytics
Performance IT – Built and sold this technology services company to private equity
Alpha Property Holdings – Co-founded this real estate investment company that continues to operate successfully

Technical Innovation & Expertise
Todd holds seven US patents spanning internet infrastructure technologies, cryptography & steganography for banking security (Global Crypto Systems), and AI-powered emotion extraction from natural language for predictive hiring analytics (HireIQ). His technical expertise spans:

Cloud Architecture: Deep experience with AWS and GCP, designing scalable infrastructure for high-growth companies
AI & Machine Learning: Practical implementation of ML models, computer vision, and NLP in production environments
Cybersecurity: Security architecture, compliance frameworks, and risk management strategies
Modern Development: Agile transformation, DevOps practices, and continuous delivery pipelines

Leadership Philosophy
Todd believes that successful technology leadership requires balancing three critical elements: strategic vision, operational excellence, and team empowerment. He focuses on:

Building sustainable, scalable technology organizations that outlast any individual leader
Aligning technology investments directly with business outcomes and ROI
Creating cultures of innovation while maintaining operational discipline
Developing internal talent to ensure long-term organizational success

Education & Continuous Learning
Todd earned both his Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Master of Engineering from the University of Florida, where he also contributed to NASA satellite projects. He maintains his technical edge through continuous learning and hosts the “Tales from the Skylounge” podcast, where he explores emerging technology trends and business innovation with industry leaders.

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