Full Name
Karl Mathias
Job Title
CIO
Company
Department of Health and Human Services
Speaker Bio
Dr. Karl Mathias was appointed as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) on March 13, 2022.
Dr. Mathias provides leadership and oversight of the information technology (IT) systems and
cybersecurity activities for a workforce of over 83,000. As the head of the Office of the Chief
Information Officer (OCIO), he leads the Department’s efforts in developing and implementing
IT policies, managing high priority projects, and planning strategic IT investments. As the CIO,
Dr. Mathias also provides leadership and oversight of the Department’s $7B IT portfolio in
support of its expansive mission to enhance the health and well-being of Americans.
Prior to being appointed HHS CIO, Dr. Mathias served as CIO for the U.S. Marshals Service.
He was responsible for providing IT services and support to 7,600 U.S. Marshals’ employees,
contractors, and task force officers spread across 475 sites within the U.S. and at 8 overseas
locations. While there, he ensured alignment of IT strategic direction with the agency’s strategic
plan, directed IT capital investment planning, spearheaded modernization of legacy IT services
through redevelopment and migration to cloud environments, and oversaw all IT acquisitions.
During his time as an active-duty Air Force officer, Dr. Mathias served as analyst, engineer, and
program manager on the Joint Surveillance System, the NORAD Battle Management System,
combat simulations at the Air Force Wargaming Institute, and the Air Force Research
Laboratory’s Enterprise Business System. He was also an Assistant Professor at the Air Force
Institute of Technology and a military advisor to the Ministry of Defense and Aviation in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2007, he joined the Civil Service
and served at the Pentagon as the Executive Director of the 844th Communications Squadron
and then as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Headquarters Air Force.
A member of the Senior Executive Service, Dr. Mathias holds a B.S. in Computer Science from
Utah State University, an M.S. in Computer Systems Technology from the Air Force Institute of
Technology, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Software Engineering from Auburn
University.
Karl Mathias