SAS Chief Technology Officer named to North Carolina governor’s AI Leadership Council

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has named Bryan Harris, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at data and AI company SAS, to his new AI Leadership Council. Established by Gov. Stein's executive order on artificial intelligence, the council convenes elected and appointed officials and representatives from technology and academia to advise and support the Governor and state agencies on AI strategy, policy and training. The council is dedicated to achieving the state's goals of fostering innovation, advancing AI-driven industries and preparing the North Carolina workforce for the evolving technological landscape.

"AI has the potential to transform how we work and live, carrying with it both extraordinary opportunities and real risks," said Governor Josh Stein. "Our state will be stronger if we are equipped to take on these challenges responsibly. I am looking forward to this council helping our state effectively deploy AI to enhance government operations, drive economic growth and improve North Carolinians' lives."

Harris brings over 25 years of experience in the enterprise software industry to his council role. At SAS, he is responsible for an award-winning software portfolio that empowers organizations with data and AI. He leads a global research and development (R&D) organization of nearly 4,000 people focusing on product design, engineering, advanced analytics and AI, industry solutions, modeling and quantum computing. Harris was also instrumental in the creation of the SAS Data Ethics Practice, which guides the company's responsible innovation and trustworthy AI efforts.

"There are three key qualities that must be at the heart of trustworthy AI: speed, accuracy and consistency. When we instill these ambitions across communities, we empower people to unlock groundbreaking innovation and drive substantial economic growth," said Harris. "I am honored to be a part of this effort in North Carolina alongside Governor Stein and accomplished civic and business leaders."

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Under Harris' leadership, SAS launched the cloud-native SAS^® Viya^® platform and unified the entire portfolio across industry solutions and models. He is also known for his dedication to fostering a purpose-driven, inclusive culture within the R&D organization. He has led several initiatives to support professional growth and encourage cross-divisional collaboration, all of which contribute to SAS' reputation as a top employer in the technology industry.

"As a proud native, I applaud Governor Stein's efforts to keep North Carolina at the forefront of AI innovation," said SAS CEO Jim Goodnight. "Bryan has been critical to rapidly integrating our proven AI capabilities with emerging technologies, while rooted in our commitment to doing so responsibly. I know Bryan will bring to the council the same creativity and wisdom that make him such a valued leader at SAS."

Prior to joining SAS, Harris served as Chief Technology Officer at several distinguished companies, with his career spanning federal, commercial and intelligence industries. At every organization, he combines emerging business and technology trends with customer needs to ultimately drive product innovation and revenue growth. Additionally, he was awarded 15 worldwide patents on cybersecurity throughout his career.

Learn more about the North Carolina AI Leadership Council and Governor Stein's executive order on artificial intelligence: https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2025/09/02/governor-stein-announces-executive-order-ai.