Riesen comes from the same position at the California State Lottery, where he spent almost four years leading strategic tech initiatives.
Before that, Riesen spent five years as a chief enterprise architect and business intelligence program owner at CalPERS. There he led the way on enterprise resource planning, business intelligence and security for the department.
He also spent three years as a chief enterprise architect for CalSTRS, the teachers' retirement fund, after the four years he spent there as a project and program manager.
Following his graduation from University of California, Davis, with a bachelor's in evolution and ecology, geology and oceanography, Riesen began his career as a consultant with HG Consulting Group.
"We are very excited to have Mr. Riesen joining the CA Health and Human Services Agency CIO team," said Adam Dondro, agency information officer for the California Department of Health and Human Services, in an email to Techwire. "With over two decades of broad IT experience, he will be able to hit the ground running and help the department continue its efforts to provide critical services to millions of Californians in a more efficient, innovative and client-centered way."
Riesen officially begins in his new position Wednesday.
