• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, April 1, 2013

With the era of “big data” upon us, the White House today announced the creation of a new position, the “data czar,” who will be responsible for leading efforts to understand the implications of the reams of data being produced by social media and behavioral tracking. President Barack Obama made the announcement with his first data czar, Leslie Klew, standing beside him in the White House press room.

“Everyone knows that big data is here, and everyone knows that it’s important,” the president told assembled reporters. “There’s no argument that big data holds big potential, but also big potential pitfalls. We need to manage our transition carefully.” Touting his appointee’s qualifications, Obama pointed to Klew’s previous experience as chief operating officer of Waste Management and said: “Les is prepared.” On a lighter note Obama turned to Klew, who is 6’4”, and said: “It’s a big job for a big man, and I think we got the right guy.”

Asked what big data is and what it can be used for, Obama explained, “That’s what we have the data czar for,” and motioned Klew to the podium. Subjected to a barrage of questions, Klew asked the assembled reporters for patience, noting, “I’m still moving into my office, and I don’t even have my staff lined up. But rest assured, we are going to be getting some of the best minds out there to look at this issue… We are going to analyze [the data] and we are going to have some definite conclusions to share with you very soon.”

Pressed for more detail about his purview and responsibilities, Klew said he expected to draw on years of management experience at Waste Management: “I mean, I’m used to dealing with very large quantities of, you know, stuff -- classifying it, organizing it, moving it around. That’s what we’ve got to do here. I like to say that we’ve got to get a handle on the data before it starts manhandling us.”

Returning to the podium, President Obama dismissed suggestions that there was a lack of clarity in his administration about big data, despite his earlier inability to define it: “Big data is big, and it’s data, okay? If we know that Jane Doe is 35 years old, and likes to watch videos of dogs doing backflips, and is excited about the new season of ‘Mad Men,” and spends an average of $35.76 online every month, well, that means something. We just have to find out what.”

The president also noted that the U.S. has fallen behind other countries in the big data race. China appointed a commissar for big data, You Wenti, in 2011, and the European Union named a commissioner for big data, Luigi Cheneso, in 2012. Elsewhere tragedy struck earlier this year when the body of the Russian assistant minister for big data, Sergei Idonobich, was found, bound and gagged, in a Moscow sewer; Russian authorities ruled his death a suicide.