Atefeh Riazi
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has appointed Atefeh “Atti” Riazi as Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective February 3. In this role, Ms. Riazi will develop and implement an enterprise-wide, long-term strategic information technology (IT) plan and oversee the integration of data and technology resources across the organization.
An experienced, talented technology executive, Ms. Riazi has more than three decades of experience leading large-scale transformation efforts in both the public and private sector. She joins MSK from the United Nations, where she served as chief information technology officer and assistant secretary general since 2013, managing and revitalizing all information and communication technologies across the organization. Prior to that, she served in various CIO and executive roles, including at the New York City Housing Authority, Ogilvy & Mather, and New York City Transit, where she was responsible for the deployment of the MetroCard.
Reporting to MSK’s Chief Digital Officer and Head of Technology, Ms. Riazi will work with other leaders in IT to develop a modernized data and digital platform for MSK’s cancer care and research, and create cohesion across all IT teams, software products, and plans for enterprise-wide modernization and rationalization.
“Atti’s recruitment follows an extensive, national search to identify a leader who will help successfully guide MSK’s evolution into a data-centric and digital organization,” said Claus Jensen, Chief Digital Officer and Head of Technology. “Atti’s role is a key element in our institution’s digital transformation, and I am excited for her arrival as we begin the challenging but rewarding journey that awaits.”
Ms. Riazi will lead the journey to a hybrid cloud architecture, with a focus on application development that drives insights for MSK staff, while also playing a critical role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of MSK’s department of Information Systems and other core components of the IT infrastructure. In addition, she will be responsible for enabling and embedding digital technology capabilities in all care delivery and research businesses and operations, and provide leadership on cybersecurity threats, with policies that balance risk and business need.
Ms. Riazi holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and an honorary PhD in science from Stony Brook University. She is also the founder of CIOs Without Borders, a nonprofit that uses technology to provide education, healthcare, and infrastructure services to underserved areas around the world.
“I am truly humbled to be able to serve as Chief Information Officer of MSK, an institution globally recognized for its cancer care, research, and innovations,” said Ms. Riazi. “Having also witnessed up close the lack of healthcare in so many parts of the world, I am honored to continue technology’s role in helping provide unsurpassed care to so many who rely on MSK.”