Chief Data Officer

New York Life announced Alain Biem in the newly created role of chief data science officer.

Don Vu, who previously worked at Northwestern Mutual and WeWork, will lead a new AI and data team.

MetLife has hired Carolina Stein, who will be based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In other news: Breeze's new hire; Guidewire acquires HazardHub; New York Life partners with Empathy.

Ali Shahkaram has been with the company since 2012.

Chief data officers are being appointed to oversee governance efforts, articulating a data vision, defining a data strategy and driving execution.

Aetna, MetLife and CareFirst BlueCross and Blue Shield will be honored for their efforts at the Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 Awards Ceremony.

John Sells had led the data organization for the workers' compensation insurer

As business leaders build a deeper understanding of analytics success, IT leaders must establish the right skills, tools and technologies.

Ultimately, a digital strategy must focus on improving business processes and outcomes, like offering new digital products or increasing your customer engagement.

Nearly six in ten consumers are open to sharing location data and lifestyle information in exchange for decreased pricing in financial products and services, according to Accenture.

Data mastery is a priority for carriers across business lines, but there are still roadblocks.

Carriers know they have to adapt their existing processes, but the potential is greater for more holistic changes to the industry, says Gartner’s Kimberly Harris-Ferrante.

The initiative, which will kick off in 2019, continues the life insurer's strategy of engaging the academic community to build a data talent pipeline.

New data-science hire will help CDO Sastry Durvasula operationalize the broker’s wealth of information.

The company has invested $40 million and partnered with local universities to encourage homegrown analytics talent.

The future is coming faster than expected, due to trends like Mecalfe's Law and Bezos's Law that are picking up speed just as Moore’s Law reaches its limitations.

Insurers are face challenges navigating GDPR and dealing with many different repositories of information, among others.

The program is intended to help calm the waters and prepare the CDO for success in what can be an uncomfortable C-suite role early on.

Organizations are struggling to fill critical IT, analytics and security jobs, especially in the advanced skills and management ranks. The job is made harder by job seekers that only want consultant roles.