Jason Southern

As the chief technology and information officer at the National Geographic Society, Jason Southern is responsible for identifying and implementing technology solutions. Southern oversees the organization’s technology infrastructure, information security program, and data protection efforts. His team ​delivers a wide range of IT services including systems engineering, software development, product management, user experience design, audio/visual production, and staff technical support. Southern first joined the Society in 2018 as the director of applications development, and was responsible for the development and maintenance of the organization’s website and applications. He was promoted to senior director of digital where he oversaw software engineering, product management, and user experience design. Prior to joining the Society, Southern developed and designed enterprise-scale software applications for product start-ups, telecommunication companies, financial institutions, and the public sector. After serving as the software architect for Nextel’s online store, Southern assumed leadership roles as the senior director of the College Board’s business technology labs and the chief technology officer for Brazen Technologies. Southern grew up writing code, but studied international relations at Georgetown University before returning to software development.