A new person is in a leadership position at one of Salina’s largest social service organizations.

Bill Whymark, Ph.D., has been named Chief Information Officer for Saint Francis Community Services. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, having held analytical leadership positions with global entities including Northwest Airlines, IBM, General Electric, and GE Capital. While at IBM, Whymark created mega off-shore data science hubs to drive IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence solutions to diversified industrial markets.

“Bill is a proven leader in developing and implementing global technology programs for some of the largest, most innovative companies in the world,” said The Very Reverend Robert N. Smith, Dean and CEO of Saint Francis Community Services. “As the head of the global data science services for General Electric, Bill drove the organization to identify, create and deploy advanced analytical solutions that improved innovation and performance throughout the conglomerate. That is exactly the kind of visionary approach we foster at Saint Francis. We believe that when you take analytical strategies and technology from the business world and apply them to the world of health and human services, you can optimize innovation and vastly improve the quality of programs and services for children and families at home and abroad.”

“My passion lies in using data-driven approaches to create transformation within organizations and systems,” Whymark said. “I’m particularly looking forward to the opportunities we have at Saint Francis to couple data science with clinical services. We can leverage both fields to create a deeper understanding of the families we serve. From that, we have unlimited potential to create the world’s most innovative approaches to broad-based social services, restorative therapies, and foster care.”

Whymark is a frequent international lecturer on Big Data topics including machine learning, data science, and the application of artificial intelligence to optimize business performance. He has served as an adjunct professor on quantitative methods at New York University’s Stern Business School. He holds an MBA in marketing research from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, as well as a Ph.D. in marketing sciences.