HMRC goes underground to find new tech boss
Good luck with that
Posted in Management, 2nd June 2009 13:49 GMT
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Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has found a new man to head up its IT department, but he won't be starting until September.
Phil Pavitt is currently CIO at Transport for London. It emerged late last year that he was under investigation for alleged irregularities in TfL's hiring policies - Pavitt was a non-exec director of a recruitment firm which found contractors for TfL.
A spokesman for TfL said Pavitt was cleared of all suggestion of wrongdoing.
The HMRC job was advertised in January. The three-year appointment starts on £180,000 a year.
Pavitt will run a team of 1,400 internal staff, a billion-pound budget and gawd knows how many outsourced contractors. He will be responsible for a two-year transformation programme and play a role influencing inter-department shared services deals.
The advert made clear that the successful candidate would have to transform HMRC's technology. Given the Rev's enviable track record on the tax credit system and of course the missing discs, we can only wish Mr Pavitt well.
Pavitt was CIO at NTL before going underground.
He has also already had a run-in with the Rev's least favourite offshorer, EDS.
At TfL he has overseen big changes in its technology infrastructure, changes to the Oyster contract, and - thank you Phil - the canning of a project to get mobiles working on the Tube. ®
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COMMENTS
So he is a salesman by profession?
"Pavitt was a non-exec director of a recruitment firm which found contractors for TfL."
So he is a salesman by profession?
The Magic Roundabout
Earth to HMRC, Earth to HMRC, come in HMRC.....bzzzz.....fffttttt......beep.....beep.....
Ground control to Major Tom. Circuits dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear me Major Tom? Can you hear me Major Tom? Oh, here am I sitting in my tin can - far, far, away. Planet earth is blue, HMRC are going to screw-woo you. Tra-la-la.....
£180K a year? FFS, how many ordfinary peeps does this guy have to shaft to earn his wedge then?
Talking of screwing, I'd better remember my icon.....
London Underground???
Oh shit.
He got out before he was kicked out - his record isn't exactly spotless.
And this is what we have choosing IT systems for the HMRC.
Unfortunately, this means we're all screwed.
The CIO Merry Go Round...
So a CIO who's a bit rubbish goes to a Government department thats a bit rubbish with its IT on a £180,000 Salary (plus "Expenses" no doubt). Don't blame him - Id too it too, and then jump at the end of the 3 years to start another 'challenging' career change.
Is that the distant sound of the theme tune from 'The Magic Roundabout' I hear?
Two year transformation programme?
Take a closer look at TFL. He was there for two years and oversaw a transformation programme that ain't going so well. We are too quick to judge on success in IT.
I haven't even mentioned the 'internal audit' issue.
To all HMRC reading: watch this man very closely or start jumping ship when you can.
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