Wells Fargo Names New Chief Data Officer

Charles Thomas previously served in the same capacity at USAA.

Wells Fargo announced today it has appointed Charles Thomas to the role of chief data officer. Thomas most recently served as chief data and analytics officer at USAA, and prior to that ran their research and analytics team.

In this new role, Thomas will oversee the company’s data strategy, provide enterprise data governance, and determine ways to leverage data for improved risk management and customer experiences, the bank said. He will join the company in early March and will be based in San Francisco.

Thomas will report to Kevin Rhein, chief information officer and head of the Technology and Operations Group. The company’s Enterprise Data and Analytics team will report to Thomas.

Jim Smith, who helped to create the Enterprise Data and Analytics group and the Chief Data Officer role, will continue to lead the Digital Channels Group, the bank said.

Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio