Joe Depa, a distinguished leader in data and artificial intelligence (AI), has been named Emory University’s inaugural chief data and analytics officer. Depa began his role on Sept. 11.
As chief data and analytics officer, Depa will use data to expand Emory’s academic impact through groundbreaking research and scholarship, enhance community health outcomes by ensuring better patient care and reduced clinician fatigue, and foster a thriving environment by focusing on efficiency and culture.
“I am excited for Joe to begin work in this new role for Emory and know that the Emory community will welcome him warmly,” says John Ellis, interim chief information officer and senior vice provost for information technology at Emory University.
“Joe will find a university community that is eager and ready to go. With leadership from the Office of the Provost, we’ve been at work for some time to establish data governance and policies with the goal of enabling timely access to high-quality data,” Ellis adds. “Joe’s background and experience is a perfect fit to complete this work and more, as we seek to leverage the power of data and AI to enhance our capabilities in academic, administrative and research areas, and improve patient outcomes.”
In this role, Depa will guide both Emory University and Emory Healthcare on a transformative journey toward harnessing data. He will report jointly to Ellis and Alistair Erskine, chief information and digital officer for Emory Healthcare and vice president of health for Woodruff Health Science Center, to achieve data goals across the academic and health care sectors of the institution.
“I am thrilled to welcome Joe to the Emory Digital and Office of IT team,” says Erskine. “Joe is taking on a new leadership role focused on making the most of our data using next generation approaches to data and analytics. The chief data and analytics officer role is new for Emory and spans all parts of the university including Emory Healthcare and Woodruff Health Science Center.”
Depa brings vast professional experience and an unwavering commitment to utilizing data to drive positive change. He was the senior managing director and global lead for data and AI at Accenture, where he managed a team of professionals specializing in data science, data engineering and AI strategy. This team garnered widespread industry recognition for its visionary approach and capabilities.
Additionally, as the interim chief data and artificial intelligence officer for a Fortune 100 company, provider and retailer, Depa led the company’s transition to a modern cloud-based data platform, facilitated the creation of innovative clinical products for research purposes, and achieved significant operational efficiencies in supply chain and labor management.
His pioneering work in precision medicine at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center earned him accolades, including being recognized during Fast Company’s “World Changing Idea” awards in 2021.
Depa’s ties to the Atlanta community run deep, including earning two degrees from Georgia Tech (a bachelor’s in industrial and systems engineering and a master’s in analytics). Beyond his professional accomplishments, Depa is an active board member of various organizations dedicated to advancing precision medicine and childhood cancer research.