Assistant Commissioner & Chief Transformation Officer

Zarina Baber serves on the Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) executive leadership team as Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery and Chief Transformation Officer. In this role, she drives the introduction and adoption of customer-centric operating models across Executive Branch agencies, advancing Customer Experience (CX) and Product Management practices statewide. She also co-leads Governor Walz’s Customer Experience goal area within the One Minnesota Plan. In addition, she serves as the Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) for the Governor’s Office, aligning technology strategy with the Governor’s priorities.

Zarina brings more than 30 years of IT leadership experience across both the private and public sectors. Since joining MNIT in June 2018, she has partnered with Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), leading major enterprise initiatives including implementations and upgrades to SWIFT, the state’s finance and procurement system, as well as portal modernization efforts. She previously served in a dual role as Deputy CBTO for MMB and CBTO for the Governor’s Office.

Prior to MNIT, Zarina led large-scale transformation efforts in complex organizations. As Director of the Enterprise Project Management Office (PMO) at Ameriprise Financial Services, she transformed technology’s annual planning process into a rolling monthly portfolio management model. She played a key leadership role in implementing a $175 million electronic health record initiative at Fairview Health Services and established the PMO at Target Corporation.

Her public sector experience includes leadership roles at Hennepin County Medical Center, where she developed and introduced the Information Management Life Cycle. She also led a cross-divisional service integration and data-sharing initiative spanning nine divisions, including business process redesign and systems integration for Hennepin County.

Zarina is widely recognized across Minnesota for her leadership and community impact. She received the Annual Asian Pacific Leadership Award and was named one of AARP and Pollen’s “50 Over 50” leaders in the Disruptors category. She has served on several boards, including Advocates for Human Rights.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, a Master of Science in Technology Management from the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering, and a Master Certificate in Healthcare Leadership with a focus on Organizational Change Management from Cornell University. Zarina is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).