City of Perth lands new CTO

The City of Perth has appointed Andrew Cann, a former CIO to the WA Police, to lead its technology operations as CTO. 

Cann announced via LinkedIn he has taken on the role, “having concluded my second stint at WA Police including a secondment to the Office of Independent Monitor”.

A City of Perth spokesperson told iTnews the CTO role is a new one: its creation is critical to the city’s technology strategy, “which is centred around capability transformation and the bringing together of all main technology activities”.

“The main duties of the role include leadership of technology strategies at the city, with immediate focus on enterprise resource planning systems, cyber security uplift and development of a new technology strategy with a roadmap that strengthens digital capabilities and delivery for residents, business and visitors,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that Cann joins the team with “extensive technology experience” and has managed “major transformation projects” involving cloud adoption and migration “as well as the development of digital policing technologies for Western Australia Police Force”.

He reports to City of Perth’s general manager corporate services, Melissa Murphy.

The former Western Australian police officer assumed the permanent chief information officer position in May 2018, around the same the state government released $7 million in funding to optimise WAPOL’s technology estate.

In 2022, he moved into a program director for environmental, social and governance (ESG) role, leaving the CIO spot free.

There, he used his IT management skills to create WAPOL's response to Western Australian government's Net Zero 2050 commitment.

WA Police declined to comment on Cann’s recent move or its current acting arrangements when asked by iTnews.

Between moving from the WA Police and kicking off his new role at the City of Perth, Cann worked as a program director in the Office of the Independent Monitor, led by Paul Steel, to oversee remediation at Perth's casino following the Royal Commission final report handed down in 2022.