In my first blog post for 2009's Ada Lovelace Day, I'd like to tell you about Kirstin Wright, Chief Systems Architect for Retail Anywhere, a complete POS retail solutions provider based in Atascadero, CA.

Kirstin is responsible for the management and development of software solutions used by more than 5,000 Retail Anywhere customers around the world.

She is also the Chair of the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) Data Model Committee.  In this volunteer role, Kirstin oversees the management of the two data-related standards, the ARTS Data Model and the ARTS Data Warehouse Model.  In this role she manages a global team of staff and volunteers who produce the the retail industry standard data model used by hundreds of retailers around the world.

Kirstin brings to the ARTS committee valuable technology skills, retail knowledge and a keen sense of team building to deliver an industry standard that must meet the needs of a variety of international retailer and vendor requirements. 

What I admire most about Kirstin's work is her ability to deliver real hands-on technical solutions while balancing marketing, team collaboration and practical approaches to IT solutions delivery.  I also admire the numerous hours that Kirstin volunteers for ARTS, ensuring that the ARTS Standards are there for hundreds of retailers to meet the needs of hundreds of millions of retailer customers. 

In her role as an IT leader, it is the quote from Ada that reminds me most of Kirstin (or is it the other way around>):

In almost every computation a great variety of arrangements for the succession of the processes is possible, and various considerations must influence the selections amongst them for the purposes of a calculating engine. One essential object is to choose that arrangement which shall tend to reduce to a minimum the time necessary for completing the calculation.

- Ada Lovelace