Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Executive Director, Enterprise Data Management & Analytics, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
Major company achievements during tenure: Greg Clancy, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance’s former chief information officer, said Hong Gao has taken the organization “from the Dark Ages of data analytics and has really moved the needle in driving corporate performance.” That means jump-starting the company’s data-analytic and machine-learning efforts and spotlighting the company’s data to illustrate performance, trends and opportunities. “I have assembled a highly skilled team to help lead Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance in a world that is increasingly driven by understanding and utilizing data,” Gao said. “This team includes data engineers, data analysts, data scientists and database administrators. We have transformed a traditional data team from operating in a reactive mode to a more proactive fashion focused on enhancing efficiency and high availability.”
Challenge faced: Data literacy efforts. “The importance of understanding the various intricacies in the data that could lead to different interpretations and decisions.”
First computer: a Gateway computer in the 1990s for coursework connecting to a university computer center
Career path: After earning master’s degrees in education and computer science from Ball State University, Gao spent more than eight years with Sallie Mae, followed by 5-1/2 years with the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning. She started as a software developer and moved up to technical and systems analyst, then project/program manager, then IT leader. She started with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance as manager of data warehouse and analytics.
Favorite tech gadgets: Apple Watch, an iPhone she “can’t live without,” iPad and Fujifilm Smartphone Printer
Preferred work atmosphere: supportive and collaborative
I wish people understood: The truth lies in the detail. “Data can tell you anything. Finding the truth and telling a fair data story requires good data ethics and a strong, inquisitive mind.”
Free time: travel, working out, time with family/friends •
Check out more Tech Exec of the Year honorees.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.