Quest Diagnostics is one of the largest diagnostic information services providers in the U.S., serving about one in three adult Americans and roughly half of all physicians and hospitals. With annual revenues near $10 billion, the company runs approximately 2,000 patient service centers and processes more than 550,000 test requisitions daily. Data is the backbone of these operations, driving both clinical outcomes and organizational efficiency.

In this context, Mark Clare, Chief Data Officer of Quest Diagnostics, sits down with Jim Kruger, Chief Marketing Officer of Informatica, to reflect on how the CDO role is changing, what AI means for the enterprise, and why governance has to adapt. This is the first installment in a three-part series capturing Clare’s insights on the future of data leadership.

The CDO’s role under pressure

Clare has been in the data space for decades and has witnessed its rapid evolution. He recalls how early CDO roles were formalized at companies like Yahoo in the early 2000s, but emphasizes that the pace of change in the past decade has been far more intense.

“There’s been at least eight significant technology changes in the last 10–12 years,” he states, “and with each one comes a set of challenges for CDOs — whether it’s in the data stack, analytics, or insight stack. You have to rethink strategy, design and build new solutions, account for cost, time, and talent.”

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified this pressure. Insights that once took months needed to be delivered in minutes. “Our businesses still want rapid insights, but many CDOs have gone back to older techniques and older and longer timelines,” Clare maintains.

Knowing where to start with AI

AI Clare notes, isn’t new to him — he built neural network models more than 25 years ago. What’s different today is accessibility, but also the risk of overextending. “A challenge is understanding where to start and where not to start with AI. You need to know what benefits your customers, your employees, and the company operations — and also recognize where the technology just isn’t mature enough yet,” he explains.

At Quest, Clare frames this through three lenses: patients, clients, and employees. “We break it into a patient strategy — how do we benefit our patients? A client strategy — how do we serve hospitals and partners? And the internal employee experience. We look across all those areas where AI can benefit and where it still needs to mature.”

Governance must fit the organization

Clare is clear that governance isn’t a template you can copy-paste — it has to align with the company’s culture and structure. “There’s no one-model-fits-all,” he says. “One of the first things I do in any CDO role is look at how the organization governs itself from the board level down.”

He cautions against duplicating existing frameworks for security or architecture, advocating instead for augmentation. “We’ve had data control frameworks for 15 years,” he notes, pointing out that AI controls are only beginning to emerge. Concepts like transparency and explainability, however, aren’t new.

The challenge for CDOs, especially in global roles, is the patchwork of regulations. Different countries, and even U.S. states, have different rules. Leaders must decide whether to design governance for the least common denominator or tailor it region by region.

Measuring the balance of value, cost, and risk

For Clare, governance and data strategy aren’t abstract—they must deliver measurable outcomes. He relies on a framework of three dimensions: value, cost, and risk.

“Most organizations need a balance across the three,” he says. But the weighting depends on context. After the 2008 financial crisis, for instance, banks leaned heavily into risk. In other sectors, value or cost may drive decisions.

Clare shares an example where efficiency gains made a big impact. “I funded a hundred-million-dollar program and self-funded it for three years on cost savings — and actually gave a significant amount back to the organization,” he recalls. “There’s a lot of cost opportunity, particularly when modernizing infrastructure.”

Ultimately, he views governance not as a burden but as an enabler. “I’m a huge believer that the risk and control side of data strategy ultimately enables value. The key is being able to measure it — and to build a scorecard that shows what you’re enabling.”

CDO Magazine appreciates Mark Clare for sharing his insights with our global community.