Kaiser Permanente named Prat Vemana the Oakland, Calif.-based health system's inaugural chief digital officer on July 29, with Mr. Vemana slated to begin his new role on Aug. 12.
Before joining Kaiser Permanente, Mr. Vemana held leadership positions at Universal Software Corp., CellExchange, Informed Clinical Sciences Corp. and Staples, where he served as vice president of global e-commerce, product and analytics. Most recently, he spent nearly four years at Home Depot, first as vice president of online before becoming chief product and experience officer in August 2018.
Mr. Vemana has also been a member of the editorial advisory board at Innovation Leader since January 2018.
He earned his bachelor's degree in computer science from the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai, India, and holds a master's in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management in Cambridge.
At Kaiser Permanente, Mr. Vemana will work alongside internal health plan, hospital and medical group teams to lead the development and execution of the system's overall digital strategy, including the deployment of online and mobile tools to improve the experience of both patients and employees. He will report to CIO Richard Daniels, with whom he will share joint accountability to Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson.
"We've made tremendous investments in building our digital platforms and creating greater access for our members. Now we are taking it to the next level by focusing on digital experiences that change the way transactions and services are delivered," Mr. Tyson said in a statement at the time of the announcement. "Prat is the perfect choice to help lead and guide the future of our digital health and wellness ecosystem that will provide our members with meaningful experiences and empower them to live more healthy years."
Mr. Daniels added, "With his proven track record of delivering consumer-focused digital experiences, Prat will help Kaiser Permanente achieve its future vision and goals by advancing our digital strategy."