The Power of Purpose: Moving from the Private to the Public Sector with Niall Brennan, CDC

Digital Irish Podcast

Have you ever wondered what it's like to leave the fast-paced world of the private sector for the impactful, yet complex, realm of public service? In this episode, we chat with Niall Brennan, the Senior Advisor for Data Strategy to the CDC Director, who made exactly that switch. We delve into their motivations for this career shift, and explore their experience in Washington DC.

In his role, Niall provides guidance to the CDC Director on the multi-billion dollar CDC Data Modernization Initiative (DMI), as well as working directly with CDC Centers and Offices to accelerate implementation of the DMI.

Prior to coming to CDC, Brennan was Chief Analytics and Privacy Officer at Clarify Health, where he led Clarify’s analytics and informatics strategy. He joined Clarify following his role as president and CEO of the Health Care Cost Institute, from 2017–2022, and previously served as the Chief Data Officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, from 2010–2017, where he led the Obama administration’s healthcare transparency efforts, built an advanced analytics enterprise, and played a key role in implementing numerous Affordable Care Act provisions, including the Qualified Entity Program and the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. He has also worked for numerous leading think tanks and Congressional advisory bodies.

Brennan is a graduate of Georgetown University’s MPP program and has an undergraduate degree from University College Dublin.

Join us for a fascinating conversation that explores leadership, purpose, and the power of making a difference, all through the lens of a remarkable individual's journey.