Subash D'Souza
Director, Cloud Data Engineering
California State University
Subash D’Souza is the Director for Cloud Data Engineering at California State University, Office of the Chancellor, where he reports to senior leadership providing guidance and feedback on using modern cloud tech and data skills to usher CSU into the digital age. He was previously the Head of Data Engineering at Headspace where he worked on solving data challenges. Prior to that, he was the Director for Big Data & Ops at Warner Bros, leveraging his skill sets to build best practices and scale data pipelines.
Subash was recognized by the City of LA in promoting and educating the public on the use of data. He currently serves as an AWS Education Champion. He was part of the teams that won first place at the hackathons at both Warner Bros and Toyota. He was also recognized as a Champion of Big Data by Cloudera. He served on California's Cradle to Career Technology & Security committee. He currently serves on the Linux Foundation as a Data Governance PMC member. He is also recognized as a senior member of both IEEE and ACM.
Learn more about the Southern California CDAO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
The journey to my current role began with the founding of Data Con LA, a prominent data conference. My commitment to data-driven social impact led to the creation of Data 4 Good, a nonprofit think tank. I gained hands-on experience as the Head of Data Engineering at Headspace and Director for Big Data & Ops at Warner Bros, scaling data operations and establishing best practices.
Recognized by Cloudera and as an AWS Education Champion, I also engaged in public service on committees like California's Cradle to Career Technology & Security and the Linux Foundation's Data Governance PMC. My involvement in professional organizations like IEEE and ACM further solidifies my expertise in the data and technology fields, contributing to my current role guiding California State University into the digital age.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
I have a strong commitment to leveraging data and technology for positive social impact. I founded Data 4 Good, a nonprofit think tank focused on using data to address social problems, and I am involved in committees related to technology and education. My leadership principles revolve around the idea that data and technology can be powerful tools for positive change, and I work to apply these principles to make a meaningful difference in the world.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CDAO role going in the next 1-2 years?
The incorporation of Generative AI within workstreams and use cases will be highly relevant as we move forward.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CDAO?
Always keep learning.
Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
I love video games, watching movies and reading.
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