​ACS veteran will lead digital, data, IT vision and plans.

Ricky Koch, who has been serving as interim chief information officer (CIO), has been officially named to that position, American Cancer Society employees and leadership volunteers learned this week. In this new role, Ricky will lead the ACS digital, data, and information technology vision and strategic plans in support of our shared goals for the future.

In a message to all ACS team members and volunteer leaders Monday, CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen shared more about Ricky’s new role. As CIO, Ricky will work to create value across the organization and for our constituents and lead the continuing process of modernizing ACS’s present infrastructure environment via Cloud migration and adoption of SaaS platforms. Under his guidance, ACS will continue priority work to digitize and monetize technology and information assets, as well as leverage emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, big data and cloud computing to enhance donor and volunteer engagement. 

“Digital Solutions is an integral part of the American Cancer Society,” Ricky said. “My goal is to lay a solid foundation for the Digital Solutions team so together, we can come alongside our business partners, effectively enabling mission impact.”

With more than two decades at the American Cancer Society, Ricky’s breadth and depth of experience is significant, including nearly every system integration that comprises the organization’s business operations. Having previously stepped into the interim CIO position over the years, Ricky has particular insight into this new role. Dr. Knudsen noted he has served as an invaluable contributor on the Executive Team as they led work to refresh the organization’s strategic plan and laid the foundation for growth. Ricky is known for his excellent interpretation skills between business and technical teams, as a true collaborator, and for his fact-based decision making. 

“I know I speak for the entire ET when I say we look forward to having Ricky officially in this role,” Dr. Knudsen said. “Ricky is a visionary, solutions-focused leader who I am confident can pivot ACS to a digital-first, best-in-class content and fundraising platform, while balancing innovation with operational IT excellence.”

Ricky previously served as senior vice president, digital solutions development and marketing, overseeing the administration, support, and maintenance for all development and marketing applications, donor-facing websites, and data for the enterprise. He began his ACS career in 2001, serving in various positions related to donations processing, application support, project management, and program management. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management of information systems (MIS) from the University of Central Oklahoma.