State Chief Information Officer Chris Estes announced that Erik Ross has been named Chief Digital Officer as part of North Carolina’s strategy to “digitize to modernize” state government.
In his new role, Ross will lead statewide digital initiatives in keeping with Governor McCrory’s vision that interacting with government should be as easy and cost-effective as checking the latest sports scores or shopping on a smartphone.
As the state advances its digital capabilities, Ross is leading North Carolina’s “Digital Commons” project, a collaborative statewide effort to improve the customer’s online experience on agency websites. Ross will also continue his leadership role at the Innovation Center, where agencies collaborate in a “try before you buy” approach to testing technology solutions before the state invests in them.
Ross has held a number of executive roles at startups and Fortune 500 companies. At Bank of America, he held the position of Senior Vice President, Research & Development Executive. He also held the role of Executive-in-Residence at the MIT Media Lab. Erik earned a Business Administration degree from Bloomsburg University with a minor in Philosophy and an MBA from Penn State University.