Atlas Air Worldwide named its new chief information officer in January. The move demonstrates the role’s sustained importance as companies continue to place chief information officers and chief digital officers on their executive teams.

In the case of Atlas Air hiring Joel Goldberg, the case also underscores the value of chief digital officers with expertise in ecommerce and retailing.

Atlas Air is a major American cargo airline, passenger charter airline, and aircraft lessor based in Purchase, New York. The company is also the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 747 aircraft, with a total fleet of 54.

The chief information officer role at Atlas Air

Atlas formally announced Goldberg as its new senior vice president and chief information officer on Jan. 25. He stepped into the role on Feb. 26, reporting to CEO Michael Steen.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Joel to lead our IT organization at such an exciting time of our Company’s transformation,” Sheen said in an announcement detailing Goldberg’s hiring. “Joel’s focus on leading the vision for our digital strategy, as well as continuing to deliver operational excellence, will be critical as we prepare for our next phase of growth.”

As CIO, Goldberg is now responsible for Atlas Air’s enterprise operations. He will also oversee infrastructure architecture, system and data architecture, cybersecurity, business service management, project management, information technology administration and compliance.

Joel Goldberg’s background

“Great work is well underway at Atlas, and I look forward to working with the team to accelerate the Company’s digital transformation,” Goldberg said in a released statement. “IT will be a critical enabler of the Company’s growth, and we have a tremendous opportunity to further leverage data, automation, and AI, and launch initiatives to best serve Atlas’ customers and employees.”

Goldberg joins Atlas from Wizz Air, where he served as global chief digital officer for five years. In his prior role, Goldberg defined and led the digital strategy including successfully executing the airline’s digital transformation.

Prior to working at Wizz Air, Goldberg was senior director of technology for Nike in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). He also held a series of roles of increasing responsibility at Maersk, the integrated container logistics and supply services company. There, he rose to become director of e-business and global director of business applications. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Florida.

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