I recently took office as the 64th President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, taking over the baton from Gillian Arnold.
Gillian has provided BCS with her sterling leadership and relentless commitment to driving forward BCS’s mission, she will continue to be heavily involved in BCS’s affairs over the next year as our Immediate Past President. I am deeply humbled and highly honoured that I am BCS’s leader for 2024/25.
I would also like to congratulate Daljit Rehal, who is Director General and Chief Digital Information Officer at HM Revenue and Customs, who takes over from me as Deputy President.
Previous roles with BCS
My involvement with BCS has been extensive, and my voluntary roles have consisted of; Chair of Community Board, which provides governance oversight of both individual and organisational membership, employer engagement and our worldwide Member Group community, and Vice-President for Community prior to my appointment of Deputy President.
I have a deep understanding of BCS, its strengths and weaknesses, its members, volunteers and staff and the responsibilities that the role brings. I know, first hand, how passionate our volunteers and staff are and the depth of their commitment in making IT good for society.
My priorities as BCS President
2024 is the 40th anniversary of BCS receiving its Royal Charter from HM Queen Elizabeth II, empowering BCS to maintain a register of highly competent practitioners in computing , working to the highest ethical standards.
It seems appropriate, therefore, that I shall be championing chartered professionalism in computing, digital and IT during my term as president – a year that will coincide with a general election in the United Kingdom. BCS will also continue its work to ensure we have an inclusive and diverse profession and pipeline that is making IT good for society.
The public are realising, in the wake of the Horizon and other IT scandals, that practitioners implementing technology can have a huge impact on their daily lives. It is important for society that this impact is both positive and for the common good.
The public are increasingly concerned about the near exponential growth in cyber threats and by the inevitable rise of AI. The need for independent third-party assurance, that chartered and other forms of professional registration brings, has never been greater.
