PwC UK has appointed its first chief data officer to develop the consultancy giant’s vision and strategy for the use of data and spearhead its new UK Data Office.
Sunil Patel, who first joined the company 11 years ago and is already a partner, has over 30 years’ experience of leading large complex technology and digital transformation programmes for clients across the government, healthcare and pharmaceuticals sectors.
He started his career at Accenture in 1990, eventually becoming a partner of its health and life sciences division, responsible for government health in the UK and Ireland. He was also responsible for electronic patient records across Europe, Africa and Latin America.
In 2007, Patel switched to Atos, where he was head of public sector, also with responsibility for government health, in addition to defence and international development.
He joined PwC in 2010, and has held a raft of leadership roles in the health and technology practices. Before becoming CDO, he was chief operating officer for PwC UK’s technology and investments group, where he focused on building the group’s capabilities in emerging technologies.
In his new role, Patel will lead PwC UK’s digital upskilling programme, designed to equip 22,000 staff across the UK with the digital skills required for the future. He will also join PwC’s growing global CDO network.
Supported by a newly formed Data Office, Patel will also assess how PwC can boost its service offerings through the use of data, across the firm’s business lines of audit, advisory and financial advisory.
Patel said: “Data is intrinsic in everything we do, and using it responsibly is essential to making informed business decisions and creating more value for our clients.
“While it’s been clear for some time that the future of work is changing, the events of the last year have only confirmed that. The use of technology in its various forms is accelerating, including AI, machine learning and robotic process automation.
“Data is crucially at the heart of all of this. Building a data-driven culture and increasing data literacy for all of our staff is key to the growth of our business.”
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