Microsoft UK hires Robin Sutara as chief data officer

Microsoft UK has announced the appointment of Robin Sutara as chief data officer, the first role of its kind within the global organisation

With the increasingly critical role that data plays within businesses of all sizes today, Microsoft UK has created its new chief data officer role to gain more insight from partners on how they use the information at their disposal.

New chief data officer Sutara will be responsible for collaborating with Microsoft’s partners throughout the UK, learning about how they leverage data and artificial intelligence, and working closely with them to create new solutions for a variety of functions, including retail, banking and healthcare.

Sutara has worked for Microsoft for over 20 years, working mainly in senior and director roles, having most recently held the position of chief of staff for Azure Data Engineering.

Prior to Microsoft, the new CDO served in the US Army, repairing Apache Helicopter electrical and armament systems.

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In a blog post from Microsoft, new UK chief data officer Sutara said: “Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person on the planet to achieve more, and that empowerment is only possible with an understanding of data within an organisation.

“Microsoft has been on its own digital transformation journey for several years and data has been central to that journey. Microsoft UK has demonstrated their commitment to being data-focused by creating a Chief Data Officer (CDO) role.

“I aim to focus on creating a data culture at Microsoft, from the leadership team down to each employee. This will include ensuring that we are considering data across our internal processes, as well as how we are helping our customers and partners succeed with data.”