“I care so deeply about the people in this business that my biggest motivator is simply not letting them down. No matter how tough it gets, I never lose sight of the fact that we are blessed with the opportunity to do something significant—a career that is more about others than ourselves.”
Robb
Hogg
Position:
Vice President of IT
Cross Company Group:
Corporate
With Cross Company Since:
1997
Robb's Career Path at Cross:
Robb's Story:
For Robb Hogg, Cross Company isn’t just where he works—it’s where he grew up. Having started with the company in 1997, Robb has spent over 28 years evolving alongside the business. His journey from building Cross’s very first email server to leading IT strategy is a masterclass in adaptability and the power of saying “heck yeah” to an opportunity. This foundation of discipline was built during four years in the Navy and studying electrical engineering, which eventually led him to a night-shift role at Cross, rolling out the company’s very first PCs.
Robb’s career is defined by two distinct chapters. For the first 17 years, he was the architect of Cross’s digital infancy, teaching himself networking to build original websites and systems. The “leadership pivot” arrived with the J.A. King acquisition, which grew the company from 7 to 24 locations almost overnight. This shift saw Robb move from tactical troubleshooting to strategic scaling, where he began managing developers and modernizing processes for a mid-sized powerhouse.
As he transitioned into executive leadership, Robb realized his true calling was empowering others. “I realized that I love seeing other people be successful,” he explains. “It’s about teaching others to be leaders.” Today, he leans on the Cross Cultural Cornerstones of humility, accountability, and teamwork, ensuring that IT acts as a true business partner to the organization rather than just a background service.
This commitment to Cross is deeply personal. As an employee-owner, Robb views every decision through the lens of the ESOP and its ROI. Because his wife, Danielle, also works at Cross, their family is entirely “all-in” on the company’s success. “Both of us, our entire family and future, is dependent on the success of this company. I don’t know how an individual can be any more motivated than that,” he said.
When he isn’t behind a computer screen, Robb can be found getting a workout in or exploring outside. After years of mountain biking and completing over 30 Spartan Races, he’s now tackling Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and working on his sparring. From the mainframe to the mat, Robb continues to prove that the secret to a great career isn’t just technical skill, it’s the courage to keep showing up and remaining humble, hungry and smart through it all.
