Robert Abate

Founder & CDAO at Info Immersion LLC

Mayo, United States

Global information and analytics speaker, author, practitioner, and thought leader who is known for empowering organizations with data driven decision making and increased utilization, literacy, modernization, governance, compliance and immersive 3D advanced analytics storytelling – improving upon data driven outcomes utilizing best practice, industry-proven techniques.

Data and analytics thought leader who embodies an unparalleled fusion of expertise and communication finesse, crafting an aura of innovation. His presentations are masterpieces, effortlessly elucidating intricate technological concepts with a captivating, relatable charm. He has been called a data luminary who possesses a rare gift—an innate knack to distill complexity into palatable, accessible insights, painting a vivid picture that resonates with audiences across expertise levels.

His stage presence is magnetic, commanding attention through a seamless blend of confidence, passion, and humility. Every presentation becomes a transformative experience, seamlessly navigating the labyrinth of cutting-edge technologies while anchoring ideas with real-world applications. With an arsenal of anecdotes and metaphors, they bridge the gap between technical jargon and layman’s terms, fostering an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels empowered to comprehend the intricacies of innovation.

This technologist doesn’t just articulate trends; he shapes them. His visionary outlook pioneers future pathways, igniting curiosity and inspiring others to push the boundaries of possibility. His ability to simplify the complex without diluting its essence is a beacon in the industry, elevating discourse and fostering a culture of understanding, where technology becomes an accessible, empowering tool for all.

He has been a data and analytics industry thought-leading CDAO and executive with over 40 years of experience (Walmart, Kimberly Clark, Polo Ralph Lauren) in data strategy, management, AI, governance, literacy, monetization, machine learning, business intelligence, data storytelling utilizing immersive visualizations including predictive & prescriptive analytics - everything data.

A member of the board of the International Society of Chief Data Officers, '23 operations director for the CDOIQ Symposium, and has provided expertise to the United Nations and NASA as a data expert. Son of AT&T Fellow Dr. John Abate and inventor of the communication system for NASA.

In 2023 he received industry recognition by being named to the DataIQ 100 US Most Influential People in Data as one of seven industry influencers, and again in 2024. He has been called the "Data Whisper" by Toggle Magazine and teaches at UofA graduate programs in data quality. He was credited in 2021 by David Marco of EW Solutions as an internationally respected data thought leader.

He just led a project for a major healthcare insurance institution to understand COVID risks and issues by combining many unique and untapped data sets that made its way into the US President's State of the Union address – see https://a.flow.gl/flow/ktuznfo0/display.

He is a visionary/transformational data industry executive with many years of experience and has a passion and demonstrated experience turning data into trusted intelligence – while building high-performance iterative development teams that drive strong collaboration among multiple and diverse international stakeholders. He thrives in environments where pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking is the norm and employs breakthrough data driven technological innovations like ML & AI, leading the way through market shifts and digital transformation.

His deep understanding in information architecture/management/governance and leading-edge technologies coupled with a unique talent in collaborative data storytelling has supported the development and execution of global information strategies and solutions that drive insights, impact competitive edge, empower decisions, and drive revenues. He has led multiple industries with information transformation and secure data utilization.

He is known for asking the right business questions and identifying strategic opportunities that have radically changed the market and positively transformed business models including leading the highly-applauded implementation of Wal-Mart’s Data CAFÉ (Collaborative Analytics Facility for the Enterprise) – which he and his team received the Wal-Mart Technology Project of the Year in January of 2014.

Credited as one of the first to publish on Services Oriented Architecture (1996) and the Abate Information Triangle (2003/2018), he is a respected IT thought leader by his peers within the field of real-time information architectures, data governance including MDM, data quality, BI/Dashboards/KPI’s, data science visualizations, and information integration including internet-scale data sources. He was the author of the Big Data & Data Science Chapter for DAMA’s DMBoK Publication (2017) and recently published in “97 Things About Ethics Everyone In Data Science Should Know – Collective Wisdom of the Experts” (2021). He has also distributed best practice documents for his peers as board member of the ISCDO to use as templates (90 Day Plan, Global Glossary of Data Terms, CDO Position Description, etc.).

He is a member of the board of the International Society of Chief Data Officers (since 2020) and is a member of the managing committee for the MIT CDOIQ Symposium (since 2020). He has been a member of the governing body and host for the CDO & CAO Forums in multiple cities. He is often a speaker at industry conferences, an expert panelist in webinars, and a published author. He has participated on the technology advisory boards for leading organizations including Nielson and has been a data expert to the United Nations (World Ocean’s Day).

He is a Certified Chief Data Officer (2020), Certified Business Intelligence Professional [ICCP/CBIP] since 2004 & Certified Data Management Professional [ICCP/CDMP] since 2008.

Previously Kimberly Clark’s Global Director of Enterprise Information Management & Analytics, and
Walmart’s Director of Enterprise Information Architecture. Today he is the Founding Partner & CDAO of Info Immersion LLC, a advanced analytics storytelling corporation, and Founder of Band Jam LLC, an entertainment data immersion corporation.

Available For: Advising, Authoring, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Jacksonville, Florida
Speaking Topics: Data, AI, Digital Modernization, Governance, Privacy, Compliance, Ethics