John Wimmer Jr.

In 2019, John Wimmer joined the faculty at Elon University after retiring as a long time executive in Information Technology Management.

Mr. Wimmer is recognized as a catalyst for change. As a senior IT executive with 25 years of experience transforming multi-site, campus-style environments through use of technology, he continues to prove that he can successfully drive growth, reduce costs, and sustain productivity through implementation of strategic roadmaps, solid technology foundations, and standardized process management. Mr. Wimmer offers a distinguished record of achievement covering every area of IT, including programming, applications development, infrastructure, and telecomm in small, mid-sized, and Fortune 500 companies.

Before coming to Elon University, Mr. Wimmer served as Chief Information Officer of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the largest national and state park concessioner in the United States. He was focused on building strong teams, deepening key executive relationships, and implementing technology models that advanced business goals, enhanced quality, reduced overall costs, and maximized profitability. During his tenure, he flawlessly orchestrated integration of several new entities into the Xanterra portfolio as the company grew through acquisition, including several traditional hospitality additions (Deer Creek State Park and Lodge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Glacier National Park, The Grand Hotel and the Kingmill Resort) as well as non-traditional additions such as The Grand Canyon Railway, Vermont Bicycle/Adventure Tours, and Windstar Cruises.  In addition to his role as Chief Information Officer at Xanterra, Mr. Wimmer served as both an Adjunct Professor (teaching classes in both Information Technology and Business Analytics) in the MBA program at The University of Denver as well as a member of the advisory board for the Business Information & Analytics program.

Prior to Xanterra, Mr. Wimmer served as Director of Resort Technology for Micros Systems. In this role, he identified and captured market opportunities to accelerate expansion, increase revenues, and improve profitability. Most notably, Mr. Wimmer led the sales effort and implementation of both the Opera Property Management System and MICROS Point of Sale solution at several large clients including The Greenbrier.

Other previous career assignments include Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Systems for Kiawah Island Resorts, Director of Information Systems for The Homestead Resort, and Project Leader/Programmer Analyst for Centra Health, Inc., respectively. In every role, he maintained focus on achieving bottom-line results while formulating and implementing advanced technology solutions to meet a variety of needs.

Mr. Wimmer demonstrates exceptional organizational expertise, business acumen, and technical skills while developing and directing talented IT teams, slashing costs, and delivering ahead of schedule. He has a knack for controlling costs and implementing technology solutions that align with business goals. 

As a former catcher and coach on the baseball field, Mr. Wimmer leverages successful strategies from sports, business, and life, to establish/execute strategic plans, to create synergy, and to understand the value of teamwork.  Mr. Wimmer attributes a great deal of his success as a relationship builder, communicator, and senior technology leader to his powers of persuasion and his ability to get things done.

With his tenacious drive and continual focus on personal development, Mr. Wimmer earned his Master of Science degree in Information and Telecommunications for Business from Johns Hopkins University and his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Concord College.

Since joining the faculty at Elon, Mr. Wimmer has focused on teaching Management Information Systems classes as well as classes in Cybersecurity Management.  In addition to teaching at Elon, Mr. Wimmer is on the Board of Directors for the Burlington Downtown Corporation and is on the Advisory Board for the Inn at Elon.

Deeply committed to family and community, Mr. Wimmer and his wife, Pam, have three grown children and reside in Burlington, North Carolina.