Steve Palmer, CIO at London Borough of Hillingdon confirmed as Socitm President

A Fellow of the British Computer Society and Chartered Information Technology Practitioner, Steve will hold office for one year with immediate effect.

At Hillingdon, Steve's brief includes customer contact, ICT, e-delivery. He is playing a leading role in the Council's improvement work in customer experience and more generally in the Hillingdon Improvement Programme which is moving the organisation from modernisation to transformation.  Steve won the "Public Sector CIO of the Year" award at the 2006 UK Technology, Innovation & Growth awards and was named as one of the top 50 most influential CIO's in the Country in 2007.

Socitm involvements prior to becoming President include chairing Socitm London, and as a member of the Socitm events team.  Immediately before becoming President he was one of the Society's three vice Presidents.

Steve takes on the Presidency at a time of significant change for Socitm, initiated by the two previous Presidents, Rose Crozier and Richard Steel. The latter was fortunate to be temporarily released from his role as CIO at Newham to devote himself to the Presidency near full-time. With Steve, the traditional arrangement will apply, where the President will combine this responsibility with a highly demanding 'day-job'.

Steve will continue to drive forward the programme of change that has seen Socitm open its doors, following an overwhelmingly positive members' vote in October 2008, to members at all levels across the public and third sectors, moving on from its traditional, more limited membership base in local authority IT management.

He does not underestimate the challenges: 'The economic crisis and local government re-organisation will test us, but constraints are also opportunities. This is certainly true of our day jobs in ICT, where difficult times can facilitate more radical solutions. The ICT function has an opportunity right now to reshape itself, align our effort more closely with the business, and demonstrate how when appropriately deployed, ICT really can deliver more for less.'

Further information:

A print quality image of Steve is available at the Socitm Who's Who page

Steve Palmer     Tel: 01895 250542
Socitm President     Email: spalmer@Hillingdon.Gov.UK

Vicky Sargent     Tel: 07726 601 139
Socitm Press Office    vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk