CDO Magazine, in partnership with Data Society, proudly presents the inaugural Top 50 Data Changemakers in the Energy Sector list! As the energy industry undergoes a profound transformation, data has emerged as a driving force in revolutionizing how power is generated, transmitted, distributed, and consumed. In the midst of this seismic shift, visionary data leaders are paving the way for the future of energy.
This list seeks to recognize trailblazers from across the sector — spanning energy exploration, generation, transmission, and distribution; utilities and Independent System Operators (ISOs); and regulators and research labs. These visionaries are not just navigating change — they are pioneering advancements that propel us toward a greener, smarter, and more resilient energy landscape.
Join us in celebrating these changemakers, as they lead the way toward a data-driven energy future.
Brian Abrahamson
Pacific Northwest National Lab
Chief Digital Officer
Paul Adamson
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Data Science Program Manager
Andrew Arana
Florida Power & Light
Director, Power Delivery
Tom Arruda
Dominion Energy
VP & CIO
Jeffrey Banks
CenterPoint Energy
VP, Digital & Data Enablement
Budhu Bhaduri
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Director, Science, Programs, & Partnerships, National Security Sciences
Ido Biger
Delek US Holdings
EVP, Chief Information and Data Officer
Clifton Black
The Southern Company
Principal Engineer, Southern Company R&D
Carmella Burdi
Argonne National Laboratory
Senior Manager, GIS & Data Analytics Group Leader
J. Ritchie Carroll
Grid Protection Alliance
Senior Systems Architect
Snimar Chhabra
Eversource Energy
Director, Enterprise Data & Advanced Analytics
Stephen Coleman
National Grid
VP, Head of Data, Analytics & Reporting
Margery Connor
Chevron
Chief Data & Analytics Officer
Mark Cudmore
Suncor
Director, Enterprise Data Governance
Emily Fisher
FirstEnergy
Director, IT Audit & Data Analytics
Dharmesh Gandhi
BC Hydro
VP & CIO
Joshua Gary
NextEra Energy
Sr. Director Enterprise Data
Zhanna Golodryga
Phillips 66
EVP, Emerging Energy & Sustainability
Kim Hales
NRG Energy
Chief Data & AI Officer
Chris Heck
Emera Inc.
Chief Data Officer
Shannon Hughes
ExxonMobil
Chief Data Officer, Enterprise Data Architecture Manager
Emeka Igwilo
Southern Company Gas
Chief Data Officer & VP, Operations Support
Ibrahim Itani
Marathon Petroleum
Head, Analytics & lnnovation
Sandra Jenkins
U.S. Department of Energy
Director of Grid Control Programs, DOE
Ajay Jillellamudi
Baker Hughes
Senior Director of Enterprise Data, Analytics and AI
Kevin Jones
Dominion Energy
Strategic Initiatives
Sarah Karthigan
Weatherford
VP, AI
Branndon Kelley
American Municipal Power
SVP, Innovation & Strategy & Chief Strategy Officer
Robert King
U.S. Department of Energy
Chief Data Officer
Dan Kopin
VELCO (Vermont Electric Power)
Manager of Innovation
Santosh Kudva
GE Vernova
Chief Data Officer
Dan Lau
Ontario Power Generation
Director, Data, Analytics, AI, & Digital Innovation
David Leach
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
SVP, Chief Security Officer & Chief Data & Analytics Officer
Eric LeVin
Xcel Energy
VP, Data, AI, & Architecture
Pragati Mathur
ConocoPhillips
Chief Digital & Information Officer
Abdul Mohammed
MISO Energy
Director, Data Management & Analytics
Jean-François Morin
Hydro-Quebec
VP, Digital Technologies
Valerie Noble
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Associate Deputy Director, Program Enablement
Emily Pastewka
Palmetto
VP, Data & AI
Helen Poletes
Hydro One
Director, Data Governance
Joseph Rand
Lawrence Berkeley Labs
Senior Policy Researcher
Chris Ritter
Idaho National Laboratory
Division Director, Scientific Computing & AI
Kelly Rose
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
Senior Fellow
Lindsay Roy
U.S. Department of Energy
Senior Advisor, Enterprise Data Management Program Governance & Policy Lead
Jason Sexauer
PJM
Principal Engineer
John A. Shannon
Capital Power
VP, Data Science & Insights, AI Innovation
Brian Spears
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Director, AI Innovation Incubator (AI3)
Brian Suhy
ACES Power
Executive Director, Analytic Services
Tom Trodden
Sandia National Laboratories
Chief Data Officer, Director, Information Technology Services
Ben Zhang
Duke Energy
VP, Enterprise Data Analytics