Dara Meath currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a position she assumed in January 2023. In this capacity, she is a key member of the senior leadership team, responsible for leading the company’s technology strategy and overseeing its technology teams worldwide. Her appointment aligns with Build-A-Bear’s ongoing priorities around digital transformation and enhancing the customer experience through innovative technology solutions.
Under her leadership, Build-A-Bear has deployed a cloud-native, mobile-first point-of-sale (POS) and customer engagement platform across 450 stores in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., significantly enhancing the in-store shopper journey by equipping sales associates with relevant customer data in real-time. Dara Meath has publicly emphasized the importance of "Bear Builder" store associates as essential contributors to the Build-A-Bear experiential retail environment, highlighting her focus on technology not only as an operational backbone but as a tool for employee empowerment and customer engagement.
Dara’s technology leadership extends to the integration of AI and data analytics, for which she and her team received recognition from DataIQ in 2024 for their innovative work. Additionally, she has been named among the top AI leaders in customer experience for 2025, underscoring her influence in retail technology innovation focused on personalization and digital customer interaction.
Professional Background and Experience
Dara Meath brings over 25 years of experience in IT development, business integration, and technology leadership to Build-A-Bear Workshop. Prior to joining Build-A-Bear, she served as Divisional Chief Information Officer and Head of Digital/Ecommerce at Conair Corporation, where she was responsible for strategic direction and execution of technology initiatives. Earlier, she held the role of Vice President of Information Technology at The Camuto Group, providing executive leadership in IT.
Her broad experience covers digital transformation, e-commerce, enterprise IT strategy, and business process integration across retail and consumer goods sectors. Dara’s senior leadership career is distinguished by multiple awards recognizing her sustained excellence in IT leadership and global IT planning, including honors in 2017 and 2018 specifically noting her business leadership in IT.
Education and Credentials
Dara Meath holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Professional Communication. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Additional educational qualifications include business management and administration credentials from Delaware Valley University and Bucks County Community College, which further support her leadership and management expertise within technology domains.
Industry Affiliations and Public Profile
Dara is active in the technology and data communities, with prior roles and engagements including involvement with Women Leaders In Data & AI (WLDA), HMG Strategy, Guidepoint, and arachne. She frequently speaks on digital transformation and technology leadership issues; in 2024 and 2025, she has been a featured speaker in business transformation and retail technology forums.
Key Insights for Engagement
- Dara Meath's leadership at Build-A-Bear focuses on cloud modernization, AI-driven personalization, and mobile-first retail technology, all directed at improving customer and associate experiences.
- She has a proven track record of overseeing large-scale digital transformations and integrating technology deeply into retail operations.
- Her prior senior roles at Conair and Camuto Group demonstrate her capability to lead complex IT organizations within consumer-focused businesses.
- Dara’s academic and professional background in both technical and communication disciplines positions her as a strategic leader who appreciates the importance of stakeholder engagement alongside technical execution.
- Recognition by DataIQ and inclusion in AI leadership rankings highlight her as an innovation-driven executive with a strong interest in leveraging emerging technologies to advance customer experience.
This profile reflects Dara Meath’s strategic role in shaping Build-A-Bear Workshop’s technology future, emphasizing retail technology innovation, digital transformation and leadership with a strong foundation in project management and business-IT alignment.
