New technology; new technology job title. With companies scrambling to figure out what data products and services they need to keep up with the digital transformation, they might consider hiring someone with expertise to help them figure it all out. Enter the new role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO).

A self-described “data geek” and proud of it, Jarrel Jimmerson was hired by Texas Health and Human Services to serve as its chief data officer. The organization is in the midst of a project to collapse five agencies into three by September of next year.

Jimmerson told John Furrier (@furrier) and Peter Burris (@plburris), cohosts of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, that the nascent role actually varies across companies. “If you go look at all the CDOs out there, their job descriptions are very different,” he said. He explained that some CDOs might be charged with certain security and privacy management tasks, but not him. “For me, I can focus on the business value that the data brings,” he stated.

Charting new territory

Using Informatica solutions such as Master Data Management (MDM), Jimmerson said he’s enabled to innovate data functions that comply with wonky legislation. “We have legislation now that says we have to improve our interoperability and align to national standards,” he said. One thing the organization has achieved so far, he said, is “being able to now analyze how data is being exchanged across these assets and determine where do we need to improve our interoperability.”

He also said that reducing data redundancy and integrating data is a focus for improvement. He believes, “Informatica is really focusing on that integration.”

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Informatica World 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE