DTA creates ongoing CIO role

The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) has made a move to recruit a permanent chief information officer, after bringing in a CIO on a non-ongoing basis back in March.

The agency this week advertised the CIO role, which sits in the business services section of its corporate branch and has oversight for internally used IT.

“The CIO will provide leadership, vision and direction to a small multidisciplinary team responsible for the management and delivery of ICT operations, ICT infrastructure, cyber security, property services and records management across all DTA locations (Canberra and Sydney) as well as supporting employees who work remotely,” the brief job advertisement reads.

A more detailed position description [pdf] has the CIO overseeing the agency’s Azure cloud environment and working with chief operating officer Tom Gilmartin and others “to define the ICT requirements for new technology implementation and develop strategic initiatives that align with the DTA’s business objectives.”

iTnews understands that the CIO role was created back in March, but was considered “non-ongoing” until recently.

LinkedIn records show that Andy Tripathi holds the non-ongoing CIO role. 

He was formerly in ACT government, most recently as deputy CIO of the Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate.

It’s understood that, in the roughly six months in which it has existed, the CIO role at DTA has evolved from being focused on day-to-day operations to become more strategic, leading to the decision to have a permanent CIO on staff.

The agency’s current CEO Chris Fechner is a former chief customer and digital officer and CIO.