Chief of Digital Officer for Scottish Local Government

Scottish Local Government appoint new Chief of Digital Officer.

18:48 29 December 2017

Newly appointed chief of digital officer (CDO) for the Scottish Local Government, Martyn Wallace, wants to transform the local government culture to realize Scotland’s digital vision. The new role was created by the Scottish Local Government IT board to have an expert help 32 different councils improve their technology.

 

Wallace, who has a background working at Blackberry, 02, Capita and in consultancy, said that the institution “went for somebody who was disruptive – somebody who could stand up and speak and manage digital transformation.”

 

Wallace is working closely with Dr Colin Burchenall, a chief technology officer who was instrumental in creating the Future Cities Demonstrator project for Glasgow City Council.

 

"Colin is brilliant," Wallace said. "He looks after the architecture, I do the business piece and the strategy with Colin to push forwards the transformation agenda."

 

Wallace, who is now working with multiple different councils, offered the analogy of different operators running rail services on one set track. Working with Burchenall, they have to set 'destination digital', lay down the tracks, provide the timetable and arrange the trains with the high-speed trailblazers at the front and the other councils behind as coaches in a Scottish-led digital starlight express.