The U.S. Defense Department snagged former DXC Technology CTO Michael Conlin as its first-ever chief data officer, a role he assumed July 30, according to FedScoop.
The new position aligns with the DOD's Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure commercial cloud procurement, which emphasizes "accessing our data where and when it is needed, especially at the tactical edge on the battlefield," a DOD official said earlier this year.
Moreover, data expertise will allow the DOD to tap into emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Specifically, Mr. Conlin will help the Pentagon transition from its legacy IT systems to gain more access to useful data, according to ExecutiveGov.
According to his LinkedIn, Mr. Conlin will maintain his post as vice president and CTO of defense at Perspecta, an IT and services company that targets customers in defense, intelligence, civilian, healthcare, and state and local markets.