Last week, Lori Wade the Intelligence Community Chief Data Officer at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, traveled to Brussels to brief the NATO Alliance on the Intelligence Community (IC) Data Strategy, providing a comprehensive overview of the progress made, challenges faced, and lessons learned. Her presentation emphasized how optimizing data is the cornerstone of innovation and our collective future, underscoring the importance of data centricity and interoperability in the digital transformation efforts of the NATO Alliance.
Wade expressed her satisfaction in learning that NATO is adopting data-centric approaches and prioritizing interoperability as part of its strategic focus. “The feedback from NATO validated our data-centric path and our relentless focus on the critical foundation work—quality data, compute, and infrastructure—necessary for AI at scale,” Wade said on LinkedIn.
During the briefing, representatives from NATO member countries offered valuable insights and reinforced the notion that advancing data strategies is a collaborative effort. They highlighted the importance of partnerships, intentional collaboration among the ‘Digital C-Suite’, private sector, academia, and a tightly integrated intelligence and defense community as strategic imperatives.
Additionally, Jason Barrett, the IC OSINT Executive, provided an overview of the recently released OSINT Strategy and the Commercially Available Information Framework. Barrett’s presentation illustrated how foundational data management principles apply across all intelligence missions and business data, demonstrating the INT-agnostic nature of effective data strategies.
Wade appreciated the opportunity to share the IC Data Strategy, gain insights from colleagues and allies, and build new relationships. “The experience in Brussels was invaluable,” she said. “We learned from each other and reinforced the importance of our collective efforts to enhance data management and innovation within the intelligence community and beyond.”
The NATO briefing marks a significant step in fostering international cooperation on data strategies, ensuring that the foundation for AI and digital transformation is robust and well-supported across the alliance.