(US and Canada) Metron, the global leader in water intelligence, announced the appointment of AI leader and data scientist Dr. Ellie Graeden as its new Chief Data and Product Officer. A respected researcher and entrepreneur, Graeden will work to bring water management into the AI era, helping Metron’s customers unlock significant cost savings, conserve water, and enable smarter and more sustainable growth.

For too long, water management has focused on hardware and physical infrastructure. Now, Metron is opening a new chapter in data-driven water intelligence, using AI and other cutting-edge digital technologies to deliver transformative benefits for utilities, property managers, real estate investors, and homeowners,” said Carolyn Parent, Metron CEO. “As a leader who has helped guide the evolution and application of AI and big data at the highest levels, Ellie is the perfect person to spearhead that effort. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Metron team.”

In addition to her work at Metron, Graeden serves as Research Professor at Georgetown University’s Massive Data Institute, using data architecture and engineering to address critical challenges at the intersection of AI, policy, and health. Her work is used by the United Nations, the Global Fund, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the G20 to drive high-level policy decisions in areas including biological weapons security, utility modeling and emergency response planning, and local, national, and international COVID-19, HIV, and influenza preparedness.

Graeden previously founded and led Talus Analytics, designing and building data products to solve challenging problems at the intersection of policy, science, and strategy. She also serves as a technology and AI advisor at Luminos.Law, a firm focused specifically on the intersection of AI law and compliance, and is a widely published thought leader on data privacy, global AI and data regulation, and related topics.

“Water conservation is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and Metron is uniquely placed to help organizations of all kinds and sizes to manage risk, optimize water use, and accelerate progress toward sustainability goals,” Graeden said. “I share Carolyn’s conviction that data-driven water intelligence is the key to overcoming the challenges we now face. By collecting and using these data at scale, we can take advantage of powerful new machine learning and AI tools to transform the way organizations manage this critical resource.”