(US and Canada) U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has appointed Cyrus Jabbari as its new Chief Data Officer (CDO). He succeeds Michael Foster, who departed the role in December 2024. As CDO, Jabbari will lead the integration of data-driven strategies to boost operational performance across the command’s area of responsibility.

“Joining CENTCOM is both a professional honor and personal calling. This command stands at the forefront of operational experimentation and complexity – where decisions must be made faster, with greater precision, and under immense pressure,” said Jabbari. “I am humbled to join such a forward-leaning team to help ensure that our data works as hard as our warfighters, for live, connected, trusted, and operational warfighting.”

Jabbari most recently served as the inaugural Chief Data Officer at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), a role he began in 2023. During his time there, he led enterprise-wide data initiatives that informed policy and program decisions across research and engineering functions, defense agencies, and field operations. In early 2024, he chaired a Department of Defense advisory body overseeing the delivery of strategic capabilities.

“I am thrilled to welcome our new Chief Data Officer to the team, and I am confident his expertise will be a game-changer in our efforts to harness the power of data to drive warfighter-centric innovation across United States Central Command,” said Joy Shanaberger, CENTCOM Chief Technology Officer. “Cyrus Jabbari epitomizes servant leadership, and this strategic addition to our leadership team will enable us to enhance our operational effectiveness, further accelerate our digital transformation, and ultimately deliver greater value to our warfighters and the nation.”

Jabbari holds a Master of Arts in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies with Farsi language study from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Southern California. In 2020, he was named the winner of the Integrated Discovery of Emerging and Novel Technologies (IDENT) research competition, which recognizes technology innovations supporting the counter-weapons of mass destruction mission.

“I’m proud to bring my experience supporting our nation’s most advanced technology office to the point of need, where it matters most,” Jabbari added. “CENTCOM is where data must drive action and where data is valued as a warfighting asset. A lot of great leadership has put CENTCOM on the right path, and I am honored to carry us into our next phase of accelerating data capabilities for ever-pressing missions.”