Governing Body Spotlight

My name is Carrie Ramirez, and I was born and raised in Massachusetts. I now live in the Berkshires with my husband and our two young children, who keep us on our toes, as well as our exchange student from France who joined our family in September. 

I've always been passionate about IT, even since I was a kid. I have worked in nearly every area of it, but ultimately, I found my home in data. When I'm not working or chasing after the little ones, I love to travel. I had the incredible experience of living in Spain for a time, and I can't wait to go back and share it with my family. Let's swap travel recommendations!

Learn more about the Boston CDAO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I began my career 13 years ago in an entry-level helpdesk position. Through a combination of hard work and invaluable mentorship, I navigated various IT roles before landing in an enterprise Data and Integrations position, where I discovered my passion for data. That role encompassed all things data—from cleansing and governance to analytics and dashboarding. I even chaired our organization's first-ever data governance committee. 

After 11 years with that organization, I joined City Electric Supply, where I was once again fortunate to have a great mentor who recognized my experience and leadership qualities and helped me transition into my current role.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Lead with Kindness—We are all human. By leading with kindness and understanding, we create an environment of transparency and collaboration—both essential to success.
 

What is the greatest challenge facing CDAOs today, and how are you addressing it?

One of our biggest challenges today is managing the variety of data sources, formats, and file types we receive. We've made significant strides in automation and machine learning to consume, convert, and standardize data with minimal human intervention. This has been a game-changer for us, but there's still more to do. Our next focus is improving lineage tracking and gaining better visibility into changes over time.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a data leader?

You don’t need to be an expert in everything—trust the expertise of those around you. Success comes from empowering your team and keeping a strategic vision while staying engaged and ready to roll up your sleeves when needed.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

Getting things done quickly and efficiently while fostering a team that collaborates, problem-solves, and embraces healthy conflict. And of course, a solid set of KPIs... because we’re data people, after all!
 

What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?

I am fairly new to this role and look forward to connecting to and learning from those who have been in similar roles for a long time!
 

Gartner C-level Communities Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.