Donald Hullinger
Vice President, IT

Motto: “Don’t treat the symptom, fix the problem.”

Don Hullinger graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a Bachelor of Science degree. Following his graduation, he dedicated nearly two decades to the fields of Information Technology (IT) and Financial Services. For the past two years, Don has been a valuable member of Sterling, where he assumed the role of Vice President of IT upon joining in August 2022. Prior to his tenure at Sterling, he worked at a prominent chemical manufacturing company. His diverse professional background spans significant periods in both financial services and chemical manufacturing, culminating in his current leadership position within Sterling.

Don joined Sterling because he is deeply intrigued by the rich history and narrative of the company, particularly the involvement of the Sterling family. His extensive research into Sterling’s operations revealed a compelling environmental aspect to their work, which he finds particularly fascinating given that they may not be traditionally perceived as an environmental company. While it may appear on the surface that Sterling’s operations involve significant lumber consumption, delving deeper reveals a nuanced and compelling narrative. Moreover, Don is captivated by the intricacies of the manufacturing process. The opportunity to gain insight into this process and contribute from a technical standpoint to enhance efficiency and quality is immensely appealing to him. He is particularly impressed by Sterling’s utilization of fast-growing pine, which presents a sustainable alternative to slower-growing resources.

As a member of the leadership team, Don’s objective is to align the IT function with the business strategy. He aims to transcend the traditional role of merely fielding inquiries, striving instead to provide comprehensive solutions that address the underlying needs and technical complexities often overlooked by users. To achieve this, Don advocates for a proactive approach that emphasizes creative problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking. By shifting the focus from the limitations of existing frameworks to a holistic view of business objectives, he believes opportunities for innovation and growth can be identified. In evaluating the current infrastructure, Don considers not only its current capabilities but also its scalability to support future expansion. His goal is to envision Sterling as a thriving enterprise capable of substantial growth.

Don’s leadership style prioritizes active listening to gather insights and fully comprehend the situation at hand. This allows him to effectively analyze and address the technical aspects of any given challenge or project. Recognizing the value of diverse perspectives, Don actively seeks input from all stakeholders involved in the process. When working on a specific system or project, he believes in engaging directly with the end users who interact with it daily. Their firsthand experience and feedback are invaluable in informing decisions and optimizing the user experience. This is why Don is a firm believer in failing quickly. He believes it’s okay to fail as it’s necessary to learn and improve. By failing quickly, there are opportunities to try tasks in different ways.

Overall, Don is deeply passionate about leveraging his skills to contribute to Sterling’s mission and further enhance its operations, particularly in optimizing the manufacturing process and advancing environmental sustainability initiatives.