Governor-elect Maura Healey appoints economic development, technology secretaries

Governor-elect Maura Healey announced she is appointing business executive Yvonne Hao, left, as secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development and Jason Snyder, right, as secretary of the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.Healey-Driscoll Transition Team

One day before she’s sworn into the state’s top job, Governor-elect Maura Healey announced she is appointing business executive Yvonne Hao as secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development and Harvard University’s chief technology officer Jason Snyder as secretary of the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.

The two are Healey’s sixth and seventh Cabinet picks as she works to fill senior executive branch positions ahead of her Thursday inauguration.

Hao, who will be the first woman and first person of color to lead the office, is the cofounder, advisor, and managing director at investment firm Cove Hill Partners and is a partner at Pillar Ventures.

Hao said in a statement that she is committed to “grow our economic competitiveness.”

“I’m honored that Governor-elect Healey and Lieutenant Governor-elect [Kim] Driscoll have placed their faith in me to capitalize on this moment, support our businesses, and expand economic opportunities in every region of the state,” she said.

Previously, Hao served as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of PillPack, an online pharmacy that was acquired by Amazon in 2018. She is also a former partner at Bain Capital.

Healey pledged on the campaign trail to split secretaries of economic development and housing into two Cabinet-level roles. She has not yet hired a housing secretary.

Hao has a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge in England. She lives in Williamstown and Cambridge, Mass.

Snyder will succeed Curtis M. Wood in the office, which outgoing Governor Charlie Baker created in 2017.

According to his LinkedIn, Snyder has served in various roles at Harvard since 2013. Before then, he had served as the chief technology officer under former governor Deval Patrick.

Snyder worked as a consultant for CSC Consulting Group prior to his work in the public sector.

He has bachelor’s degrees in economics and computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and lives in Reading.

“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does incredible work day in and day out to deliver critical services to residents, but we need to make sure that everyone is able to access those services,” Snyder said in a statement. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve in the Healey-Driscoll Administration and look forward to the work ahead to make sure that our technology is resilient, secure and accessible to all.”

While Healey has made some key Cabinet picks, she has still not yet picked Cabinet-level secretaries to lead on labor and workforce, housing, health, and human services, and public safety, among others.