Shawn Riley serves as CIO for North Dakota’s Technology Department. Shawn overcame the challenges of his youth and adopted a growth mindset and “we can make the world a better place” attitude. At the age of 16 he started a technology company. Later in his career he entered the private sector and worked as a thought leader for companies like IBM and the Mayo Clinic. His career has included massive change and transformation initiatives spanning multi billion-dollar organizations. In 2017 Shawn was appointed by Governor Doug Burgum to lead the state of North Dakota’s technology services as the Chief Information Officer. He is always looking to connect with others who have a “we can change the world” attitude as he strives to be a servant leader and improve lives, empower people, and inspire success.

2020 CSO50 Honoree