Olivia Kew-Fickus, Chief Data Officer, Vanderbilt University
Olivia Kew-Fickus is the inaugural Chief Data Officer at Vanderbilt University. She leads the Office of Data & Strategic Analytics, partnering with leaders across Vanderbilt to deliver value through better use of data.
Olivia came to Vanderbilt in 2019 from the University of Birmingham in England, where she was the Director of Strategic Planning. In that role she led strategy development, annual planning, and business intelligence. She had previously managed special projects and executive communications for the vice-chancellor (president) of the University of Birmingham.
Olivia brings to her role as Chief Data Officer an unusually broad perspective thanks to her international background and her ability to bridge between strategic and technical concepts. She is widely networked internationally. In the UK she served on a governmental advisory group on higher education costing and oversaw training programs for her professional organization. She is now a member of the Global Editorial Board at CDO Magazine, is regularly invited to speak to higher education and technology audiences, and is active in the Nashville technology community.
Olivia began her career working in international development, including in Ukraine supporting better governance, and at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona running international training. She speaks Ukrainian and Russian. She holds a bachelors in history from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Leicester in the UK.
