COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – September 10, 2020 – Compassion International announced this week the hiring of its first-ever chief information officer. Pam Parisian, the former president of technology development at AT&T, steps into the newly formed role, reporting directly to the ministry’s CEO, Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado.
Parisian served with AT&T for 39 years in a variety of roles, including vice president of IT integration, strategy and planning, then chief information officer and finally president of technology development, where she was responsible for the development and global operation of the 2,000 applications that support AT&T’s consumer and enterprise businesses, as well as the platforms that support human resources, finance, supply chain and network operations.
Parisian’s career experience includes leading teams through the exclusive AT&T iPhone launch and 11 subsequent releases, as well as multiple large-scale systems integration challenges in mergers between AT&T, DirectTV, Cingular and BellSouth Cellular.
“Looking back, I can see now how God has clearly been preparing me for this season of service for quite some time,” Parisian said. “About ten years ago, I felt a calling to begin helping children in poverty and those who lacked the love and security that I was able to provide for my own sons. I’m humbled beyond words by the opportunity to now live out that calling full time and to extend the hope of Jesus Christ to the precious children of the world through this role with Compassion. I don’t think of this as a job; it’s a mission!”
Parisian has earned many distinguished awards, including the 2018 Dallas Super Global CIO of the Year; was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame in 2015; and has ranked in CIO Magazine’s top 100 CIOs for multiple years running. She completed the information technology management program at Georgia Institute of Technology, an Associate of Science degree from Roane State Community College, and executive training from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I am grateful to God for his faithfulness in how he’s uniquely created and prepared Pamela Parisian to be Compassion International’s first chief information officer,” said Compassion CEO, Mellado. “Pam has achieved a great deal in her career that will certainly elevate the vital role IT plays in the success of our global ministry. She is also a humble leader, and I’m confident she will fit beautifully in Compassion’s culture.”
Parisian will be leading Compassion’s global IT team from Crossville, Tenn. She and her husband Dean have two adult sons, Hunter and Jordan.
About Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child development organization working to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Founded in 1952, Compassion partners with more than 8,500 local churches in 27 program countries to deliver spiritual, economic, social, and physical care to over 2.2 million babies, children, and young adults in poverty. Ranked No. 8 in Forbes’ America’s Top Charities List in 2020, Compassion is a founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and an accredited charity with the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information, visit compassion.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.