Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 25 Women Chief Data and Analytics Officers of 2024. In today’s data-driven landscape, organizations across all sectors leverage data to drive decision-making, innovate, and achieve growth. Quality data management and analytics are essential for informed strategies and successful outcomes, making these leaders pivotal in shaping their organizations’ futures.
Chief Data and Analytics Officers are key in executing effective data management and analytics strategies. They excel in collecting, managing, and analyzing data to drive success, foster innovation, and ensure regulatory compliance—all while advancing their organizations' strategic goals.
This year’s honorees include Dana Moore, Deputy Director of the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics at the California Department of Public Health. With over 20 years of experience in public health, Moore has made significant contributions to California’s public health and policy system, working across both urban and rural local health departments as well as the State Health Department.
Next, we recognize Stefanie Leabo, Chief Data Officer of the City of Boston. A member of the Analytics team since 2015, Leabo has led the city's efforts to work with departments to make government more effective and deliver better outcomes for constituents.
Lastly, we honor Amanda Moske, Executive Director of Institutional Research and Chief Data Officer at the Florida Institute of Technology. As a Certified Chief Data Officer through Carnegie Mellon University, Moske leverages her expertise in developing advanced analytical models, overseeing data governance, and providing data-driven strategic guidance for institutional research.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Women Chief Data and Analytics Officers of 2024.
1. Christy O'Gaughan
Chief Data Officer, GE Healthcare
Christy O'Gaughan is the Chief Data Officer of GE Healthcare. She first joined the company in 2023. As a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, GE HealthCare enables clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications, and services, supported by its Edison intelligence platform.
Previously, O'Gaughan was a VP of data and digital innovation at McKesson. Before that, she was a vice president and head of global insights and digital engagements at Roche. Earlier in her career, she worked with Campbell Soup Company as a statistician and SAS programmer.
O'Gaughan earned an MBA/MS in Healthcare Management and Healthcare Financial Management, an MS in Statistics from Fox School of Business at Temple University and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Rowan University.
4. Hannah Poferl
Chief Data Officer, Head of Audience, and Assistant Managing Editor, The New York Times
Hannah Poferl began her professional career 16 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Data Officer, Head of Audience, and Assistant Managing Editor of The New York Times. Poferl, who has been a top strategist and innovator in the newsroom and key partner to the product development team, is the first person to hold this role, which spans news and business and is intended to connect their newsroom audience and data and insights (DIG) teams at the highest level. Poferl has executive oversight for the audience and data strategy and the cross-company DIG team and helps lead the international growth efforts. She is a member of the senior-most leadership teams on the business side and in the newsroom.
Poferl is a proven leader with deep expertise in journalism and data. Over the past several years, she has led the newsroom’s audience and analytics team, building an industry-leading team that has brought their journalism to millions of new readers and deepened their relationship with millions more. Coverage leaders seek the guidance and partnership of Poferl and her team to increase the reach and impact of journalism, and leaders across the business rely on her insights to help drive their subscription strategy. Poferl joined The Times in 2014 as a data analyst and later joined the newsroom strategy team. Since taking over leadership of the newsroom’s Audience team in 2019, she has grown its staffing and its expertise. She helped the newsroom embrace the use of data to understand their readers and amplify the reach and impact of their journalism.
Poferl started her career in 2008 as an analyst in global accounts at HID Global. From there, she went on to Internet Exposure, before eventually rising to analytics lead at HUGE, her most recent position before joining The New York Times. Poferl graduated from the University of St. Thomas with an undergraduate degree in international studies, french, and political science.
5. Michelle Gansle
Chief Data & Analytics Officer, McDonald's
Today, Michelle Gansle is Chief Data and Analytics Officer of McDonald's, the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries. Gansle is a distinguished data professional with an impressive 30 years of experience in marketing, insights, and analytics.
Before her current role, Gansle served as VP of global insights and analytics. She possesses a distinctive set of skills and is acknowledged for her exceptional ability to connect dots, resources, and people to envision and activate a better future for the communities she serves personally and professionally. Before joining McDonald’s, Gansle was the senior director of foresight, innovation, and growth insights at Mars Wrigley. Her professional highlights include reimagining the future of insights, pioneering best-in-class foresight and front-end innovation processes, and managing vision and strategy to drive simultaneous growth for consumers, customers, and companies.
Gansle’s expertise extends to developing marketing plans and programs that boost sales, orchestrating launches across multiple countries, crafting creative strategies with a strong return on investment, and uncovering shopper insights that drive growth for retailers and categories. Gansle graduated from Thunderbird School of Global Management with an MBA in International Management and Marketing and from The University of Texas at Austin with an undergraduate degree in marketing and German.
7. Erica Klampfl
Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Ford Motor Company
Erica Klampfl leads Ford’s 2000+ Global Data Insights and Analytics team and is responsible for overseeing the AI, data, and analytics strategy, platform development and solution delivery to drive growth and innovation across the business units from Marketing to the Industrial System. This includes leading AI and analytics adoption, innovation, technology evaluation and implementation, and transformation within the organization.
Previously, Dr. Klampfl was the Director of Greenfield Labs, where she launched a human-centered design organization tasked with building new products and services for Ford Smart Mobility. This builds on her prior role as the Global Mobility Solutions Manager at Ford, defining Ford’s near, mid, and long-term mobility strategy that laid the groundwork for the Ford’s Mobility initiative. Erica started her career at Ford in Research and Advanced Engineering working over a decade in developing and applying operations research and other analytics techniques to inform business strategy, strengthen environmental sustainability, and improve manufacturing efficiency.
She received a PhD in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University and has served on the Industrial and Operations Engineering Department advisory board at the University of Michigan, was Ford's industry advisor in Industrial Math at Michigan State University, was on the Board of Governors for the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, and is a former mentor of Techstars Mobility Detroit, a start-up accelerator program.
Dr. Klampfl has dozens of external publications and awards including the ANNY Excellence in Analytics Award for Ford’s Global Supply Chain Fitness Analytics initiative and the 2019 TRIO Achiever Award. She was recognized as a recipient of the 2015 Connected World Magazine’s Women in M2M award for her efforts in helping push connected technologies forward to help Ford become a better corporate citizen and technology leader. She was also a finalist for the 2015 TU-Automotive Influencer of the year award, was featured in Automotive News, and appeared on Autoline. She is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist at global conferences, industry events, and media engagements, including the Consumer Electronics Show, Mobile World Congress, North American International Auto Show, and Techonomy. Her internal recognition includes the Henry Ford Technology Award, numerous Ford Technical Achievement Awards, Ford Global Diversity & Inclusion Summit Awards, several Trade Secrets, and over a dozen filed patents.
8. Elizabeth Puchek
Chief Data Officer, USCIS
Elizabeth Puchek is Chief Data Officer at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS upholds America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all they serve. Puchek joined USCIS in 2018 to help design the Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO). Puchek led the development of the first-ever USCIS Data Strategy, which formed the foundation for the new organizational design for the OCDO. Since then, she has led her office to strengthen data governance by approving and implementing data standards for improved interoperability, centralizing the management of data sharing for USCIS, and establishing a data quality program to monitor data and resolve reported data issues.
Through Puchek’s leadership, she has promoted data-informed decision-making among all staff with the creation of numerous enterprise-level data dashboards that transformed data consumption, the creation of a centralized website of data resources available to the whole agency, and the creation of Analyst Basic Training to provide a consistent skill set baseline for USCIS data analysts. She also leads several initiatives across USCIS to streamline case processing for employment authorization and several other benefit types.
Before joining USCIS, Puchek spent eight years in the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and she worked in the private sector as a consulting engineer. Puchek earned a Master's in Architectural Engineering and an undergraduate degree in architectural engineering from Penn State University.
9. Swatee Singh
EVP & Chief Data and AI Officer, TIAA
Swatee Singh is the EVP and Chief Data and AI Officer of TIAA. The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) is a financial organization that provides investment and insurance services for those working for organizations in the nonprofit industry in academic, research, medical, government, and cultural fields. Singh is responsible for elevating the enterprise data and AI strategy and impact across business lines with a focus on developing next-gen data management, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning platforms, differentiating assets, quality and governance, and data science capabilities.
Singh is a hands-on technology executive with deep expertise in artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ ML/ GenAI), cloud, blockchain, and enterprise big data and analytics ecosystems. While acting in various CIO and shared services roles, she has a proven track record in leading strategy, design, and tech delivery of revenue-generating, customer-centric, AI-powered applications at major global firms. Singh’s thought leadership in the Data, AI/ ML, Cloud, and emerging tech space is evidenced in the over 15 US patents that she has either failed or been granted in partnership with her fellow inventors. This is in addition to several industry talks, presentations, and publications.
Previously, Singh served as the CIO at Barclays. In that role, she was responsible for their next-gen technology and data capabilities in a hybrid, multi-cloud environment. Before that, she was head of big data platform engineering and the first female distinguished architect at American Express, where she led the development of global platforms and leading-edge applications. Singh started her career in 2004 as a research assistant at Duke University Medical Center. She holds a PhD from Duke University with a focus on Machine Learning.
13. Stacey Hawes
Chief Data and Performance Officer, MERGE
In her current role at MERGE, Stacey Hawes is serving as Chief Data and Performance Officer, where she leads a team of over 140 employees. She is responsible for crafting the agency's data strategy and aligning the analytics teams to deliver best-in-class solutions.
Hawes is an award-winning executive with over 25 years of experience. She's an accomplished president, chief revenue officer, and chief data and analytics officer with P&L experience. Her enthusiasm for data-driven go-to-market strategies, combined with her client focus makes her a transformational leader with deep experience aligning and leading large cross-functional teams, including sales and marketing, product management, engineering, data and analytics, operations, and delivery. During her tenure as president of Epsilon's Data Practice, Hawes led the digital transformation of the business and drove revenue to record growth.
Hawes possesses outstanding communication skills, along with integrity, intelligence, enthusiasm, business savvy, and grit. She is best known for her servant leadership and inclusive and inspirational leadership style. She's an accomplished public speaker in the MarTech/AdTech space and well-recognized in the industry.
View the complete list of awardees.
14. Robin Gordon
Chief Data & Analytics Officer, MetLife
Robin Gordon is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer of MetLife, one of the world’s leading financial services companies. Gordon manages MetLife’s enterprise data priorities across strategy, service and operations, business analytics, and governance. She joined MetLife from Blackstone, where she served as the chief information officer for seven companies within its real estate portfolio. There, she led the technology and data organization to deliver business insights resulting in better property management, deal decisions, and portfolio optimization.
Previously, Gordon was the chief data officer for CoreLogic, where she developed its first data strategy and delivered high-quality data assets and insights that fueled $2 billion in annual revenue. She joined CoreLogic to lead the application development and solutions management function. At Dun & Bradstreet, Gordon led customer and strategic analytics, data technology, application development, and solutions management. She defined a comprehensive product and technology architecture and transformed the data-sourcing process. She also executed a successful data integration strategy delivering insights leading to 100 percent improvement in customer engagement and 7% revenue growth. She began her career working as a programmer at multiple companies in South Africa.
An advocate for diversity and women in technology throughout her nearly 30-year career, Gordon holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Economics, and Information Systems from the University of South Africa.
15. Xuhui Quan
SVP & Chief Data and Digital Officer, McKesson
Xuhui Quan is Senior Vice President and Chief Data and Digital Officer for McKesson Corporation, a global healthcare company. Quan collaborates with enterprise business leaders to drive the utilization of predictive, sensing data capabilities and leverages insights and intelligence through emerging technologies to support the company’s overall digital acceleration efforts. She has extensive expertise in developing digital go-to-market strategies and data-driven customer experiences.
Before joining McKesson, Quan served as the general manager of Digital health solutions at Abbott Laboratories in the Core Diagnostics business. She also led the establishment of the Vascular Global Capital Service Strategy and Digital Health Strategy organizations. During her tenure, she transformed the business, creating a competitive advantage within the vascular industry, and led the development and execution of key digital health concepts and Vascular Digital Health pilots. With over a decade of experience in business and technologies, Quan led the Abbott Digital and Analytics Solution Delivery team in corporate and divisional IT. Her focus was on connecting strategists, technologists, and creative talent to ignite digital innovation, improving the digital consumer experience, and transforming Abbott’s business model.
Quan holds a Master of Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, a Master of Science in Software Systems from the University of Saint Thomas, and degrees from Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Shenyang Institute of Chemical Technology in China. She is also a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the City University of New York, where she earned her Master of Science in Polymer Chemistry.
17. Barbara Forth
Chief Data Officer, William & Mary
Barbara Forth is the Chief Data Officer at William & Mary. Forth is an accomplished information management leader who has delivered a wide range of IT solutions. She has nearly three decades of experience and expertise in data management with a focus on business intelligence and analytics, database technology research, business and data architecture, and large-scale operations management.
Forth is responsible for organizing efforts to develop and maintain data in a manner that promotes the routine use of analytics to inform institutional strategy and drive innovation. She also provides oversight to the Institutional Research and Business Intelligence teams in IT. Forth’s sincere passion for data comes from the many executive and consulting roles she has held at major financial institutions , such as Fidelity Investments, Capital Group, Experian Consumer Services, and General Electric. Before starting her role as CDO, she owned her data strategy consulting firm and remains a sought-after speaker at universities and corporations across the United States and in Canada.
Before joining William & Mary, Forth was an information technology executive at Capital Group. Before that, she was a vice president of architecture in corporate finance analytics and data management at Fidelity Investments. Earlier in her career, she worked with GE in the information systems management program. Originally from upstate New York, Forth is a graduate of Syracuse University with an undergraduate degree in information management systems, marketing management, German language, literature, and culture.
20. Dana Moore
Deputy Director, Chief Data Officer, & State Registrar, California Department of Public Health
Dana Moore is the Deputy Director of the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics at the California Department of Public Health, as well as the State Registrar and Chief Data Officer for the Department. Moore has built a career in California’s public health and policy system over the past 20 years, working in urban and rural local health departments, as well as the State Health Department.
Most recently, Moore held multiple positions at the California Department of Public Health from 2010 to 2024, including assistant deputy director for data operations, assistant deputy director for the office of health equity, tribal liaison, health systems strategist for the Fusion Center for Strategic Development and External Relations, and emergency planning analyst for the Emergency Preparedness Office. She was a senior health program planner at the San Francisco Department of Public Health from 2008 to 2010 and a health program supervisor for the Yolo County Health Department from 2004 to 2008. Moore got her start in public health by working for the National Health Service (NHS) in the Central London Regional Office.
Her concentration was on Tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) infection control, focusing on reducing the incidence and prevalence of TB and MDR-TB by addressing social determinants of health. Moore received her Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Davis and her Master of Public Health Policy and Management from the University of California at Berkeley. She is also a Certified Public Health Professional.
24. Amanda Grasso
Chief Data Officer, Cook County Health
Amanda Grasso serves as Cook County Health’s Chief Data Officer. In the role, Grasso is responsible for establishing a formal data governance structure, maximizing the use of data as an organizational asset, driving organizational change and behavior as it relates to the use of data, and defining a data strategy that best supports organizational priority.
Grasso, who has been with the health system for more than 12 years, previously served as Director of Decision Support. She has a Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
25. Syamala Srinivasan
Chief Analytics Officer, TADA Cognitive Solutions
Syamala Srinivasan has extensive work experience in various data science and statistical roles. She is currently serving as the Chief Analytics Officer at Tada Cognitive Solutions, a revolutionary data platform with groundbreaking Digital Duplicate technology.
Before this, Srinivasan worked as an adjunct professor of the MSDS program at Northwestern University starting in September 2013. She also held the position of chief data scientist at CGN & Associates from August 2011. In 2017, Srinivasan joined HBM Prenscia as the principal data scientist and remained there until August 2020. Additionally, she worked as an adjunct professor at National Louis University from September 2013 to March 2015. Srinivasan’s early career included serving as the director of analytics at Caterpillar Inc., where she established and developed the company's Analytics group. She contributed to providing analytical-based business solutions across the entire value chain. She was with Caterpillar Inc. from the start of her career in 1989 until July 2011.
Srinivasan completed a PhD and an MS in Statistics at Colorado State University from 1981 to 1986. Before that, she earned an MS in Mathematics from Madurai Kamaraj University from 1975 to 1977. Srinivasan obtained a BS in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Madras from 1971 to 1975. She also pursued a program at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in 2009, and she participated in a management fellow program at The Wharton School from 2002 to 2003, which emphasized finance, healthcare management, strategy, and leadership.
View the complete list of awardees.