White House Names Former Microsoft Executive as Next US CIO

$80 billion a year is what is spent by the government on information technology and we struggle to get our money’s worth. Mr. VanRoekel plans to continue the project already in place by Mr. Kundra who leaving to go to Harvard soon. With 15 years of experience at Microsoft it will be interesting to see how he lead the country in this area as well and not that doesn’t mean they are the favored vendor by any means.

I hope this ends up being a good reaction from our digital illiterate lawmakers on the Hill though and perhaps they will take notice. From what it noted below Mr. VanRoekel served as an assistant to Bill Gates so it sounds like his background was pretty interesting and varied as well as the couple of years spent at the FCC. BD

Steven VanRoekel, a former Microsoft executive, will become the next chief information officer for the federal government — a bigger, more policy-oriented technology job than any he held at the software giant.

Mr. VanRoekel worked for Microsoft for 15 years, including a stint as an assistant to Bill Gates, the co-founder. Mr. VanRoekel was a supporter of President Obama, attended the inauguration, and after a conversation with Julius Genachowski, the new chairman of the F.C.C., went to work for him.

As the government’s chief information officer, Mr. VanRoekel said he planned to move ahead with the work Mr. Kundra began.

“We’re trying to make sure that the pace of innovation in the private sector can be applied to the model that is government,” Mr. VanRoekel said.

White House Picks New Information Chief - NYTimes.com