Earlier this month, Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health tapped Suja Chandrasekaran to fill the newly created role of chief information and digital officer.
Prior to accepting the position, beginning in 2016, Ms. Chandrasekaran held the same title at Kimberly-Clark, where she developed the consumer products giant's strategy for integrating digital technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, enterprise applications and other technology infrastructure and software initiatives.
Before that, Ms. Chandrasekaran spent a decade at Nestle in various positions, eventually becoming senior director and chief information officer for the Americas division. That was followed by roles as senior vice president and global chief information and e-commerce officer at Timberland, and senior vice president and global chief technology and data officer for Walmart.
She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Madras in India and a master's in business systems from Australia's Monash University.
At CommonSpirit, where she will also serve as senior executive vice president, Ms. Chandrasekaran will spearhead the system's operational technology strategy, specifically by digitizing core processes, advancing the use of analytics and AI, and designing digital tools to improve patient navigation and overall experience.
"I believe technology can play a unique role in health care. By linking CommonSpirit Health's clinical and digital strategies and modernizing work processes, we can free up time for our physicians and staff to focus on their number one priority — the patient," she said in a statement when her appointment was announced.
"Whether you work for CommonSpirit Health or are a patient or family member, we are all consumers who expect technology to provide easy, engaging experiences in our everyday lives," she continued. "I look forward to working with the talented individuals across CommonSpirit Health as we integrate technologies that will lay the foundation to create healthier communities across the country."