Bio

Ray Shirkhodai is the Executive Director, and acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), a leader in Science and Information Technology for disaster risk reduction. He joined the Center as the CIO in 2002, and then served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 2004-2007. As an Information Technology evangelist, he is the main architect of the PDC’s Integrated Decision Support platforms, including AI-based analytics, cloud computing, and the mobile app product development (2M+ downloads), leading the Center’s entrance into the International and increasing competitive revenues nine (9) folds. His senior leadership experience includes strategic business development, corporate governance, team-building, and executive management. His technical skills encompass product development, software design, agile product development, implementation, integration, and life cycle management of large-scale projects. Highlights include: - Refocusing PDC’s business strategies on technology-driven and AI analytics; - Directing information system strategies, planning, design, and implementation of PDC’s enterprise platforms, cyber infrastructure, mobile app, and cloud computing; - Forged global partnerships and a new business continuity market, attracting Fortune-500, - Oversaw cyber security (and NIST) compliance audits efforts for DisasterAWARE, - Reshaped IT development life cycle and support processes for a nationwide telecom company ($2.5B CAP), deployed business support systems, managed vendors, and led several large-scale system integrations, - Led cross-departmental efforts for cost of revenue analysis aimed at increasing efficiency and profit. Mr. Shirkhodai has been an invited keynote speaker in many international industry forums. He holds a patent for PDC’s Smart Alert notification algorithm and has copyrights on the core of the Center’s AI-based Expert Systems. Prior to PDC, he had served for 7 years as the director of Information Technology (IT) in WinStar Wireless in Washington DC, where he managed a budget of $190M. Prior to Winstar, he had held senior software management and development positions at CSC and at MCI. Shirkhodai also has extensive experience in product support and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He holds a B.S. in Computer Sciences and post-graduate studies in AI (George Mason University). Specialties: Strategic Management; Enterprise Solution Development & Integration; AI analytics and expert systems, Software Engineering & Design.