University of Canberra to recruit a permanent CIO

The University of Canberra is recruiting for a permanent chief information officer, nearly three years after it combined IT and digital under a single C-level position.

A 20-year veteran at the university, David Formica was CIO until January 2019, when the university elevated him to chief digital information officer, taking responsibility for both digital and IT. He retired earlier this year.

It appears the university has since decided to have separate C-level digital and IT roles.

Craig Mutton was appointed as the university's CDO and vice president of digital back in March.

CIO responsibilities since Formica's departure, meanwhile, have been exercised by two interim appointments.

Initiallly, Stef Batts-Cirilli was appointed as interim CIO, but he will now return to his prior role of deputy director of vendor and operations.

Brett Lentham has now been named interim CIO, a university spokesperson confirmed to iTnews.

A ten-year “Connected Decadal Strategy” has brought the need for a CIO back into focus, and recruitment has commenced.

The strategy [pdf] includes a digital master plan that covers cyber security, a platform roadmap, and a data strategy.

“The University of Canberra is embarking on the implementation of an exciting digital strategy, and is seeking to employ a chief information officer in a continuing full time capacity," Mutton told iTnews.