A woman with short, platinum blonde hair and round, silver-framed glasses smiles warmly at the camera. She has light skin, bright eyes, and is wearing a light blue collared shirt. The softly blurred background suggests an outdoor or naturally lit setting.

Cristol Grey

Associate Chief Information Officer for IT Operations

Cristol Grey serves as Associate Chief Information Officer for IT Operations at HMS IT. Since joining the organization in 2016, she has significantly enhanced service delivery and implemented a service catalog to automate and optimize support. She spearheaded the development of project and portfolio management practices, led IT teams in major incident responses, and advanced internal and customer documentation and communication practices. As Associate CIO, Cristol has advised on leadership and organizational changes and is responsible for scaling all of IT’s internal processes into modern work models, thereby creating efficiencies, ensuring that IT is prioritizing the needs of HMS’s strategic initiatives and accreditation efforts, and meeting customer expectations for IT support. 

Previously, Cristol brought her expertise to Penn State’s IT Communications department, where she was a key figure in establishing the school’s first IT Project Management Office. This opportunity gave her a breadth of experience in IT service delivery and operational optimization efforts in a large university environment. In 2014, she became the program manager responsible for the design, implementation, and rollout of a state-wide shared service management model. This effort included developing governance processes to facilitate seamless issue escalation from local service desks to central campus response tiers. Cristol also served as chair for the state-wide commission for LGBT equity, advising the school’s president and board to include non-binary options and benefits in the school’s policies, systems of record, and student applications.

Cristol’s career began in software development lifecycle, illustration, and customer documentation within an agricultural research lab, followed by a role in a corporate laboratory supply firm. Her diverse experience across various sectors has consistently driven operational optimization and IT service delivery improvement.