The United States White House announced today that former Microsoft executive Steven VanRoekel will take over at the next Chief Information Officer for the federal government. VanRoekel will now be responsible for overseeing the government’s use of information technology in an efficient and transparent manner.
VanRoekel was previously employed with Microsoft from 1994 to 2009. VanRoekel was also the Senior Director of the Windows Server and Tools Division, as well as the Director of Web Services, Speech and Strategy Assistant to Bill Gates, and Support/Presales Tech Advisor.
After his time at Microsoft, VanRoekel led the FCC’s efforts to introduce new technology and social media into the agency as a manager. VanRoekel was also a director within the U.S. Agency for International Development.
VanRoekel will be replacing Vivek Kundra as the nation’s second Federal Chief Information Officer. Kundra is leaving the post as CIO to pursue a joint appointment at the Kennedy School of Government and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the law school
VanRoekel, who is 41 years old, said that he would be using his new role to introduce new technologies to improve government service and cut costs where needed. “The productivity gap between where the private sector has gone over the last two decades and where government has gone is ever-widening. This can be done in a way that actually saves money, saves resources and everything else.”
“We congratulate Steven VanRoekel on this appointment. Steven is a well respected member of the tech community and he is well positioned to carry on the great work started by Vivek Kundra. Given the transformative power of new technologies and the challenges CIOs are facing to meld consumer and enterprise technologies, it is a great time to be stepping into this critically strategic role,” Microsoft stated.
