Management Toolkit

Socitm chief resigns

Kablenet.com

Published: 14 Jan 2008 11:41 GMT

Kate Mountain has stood down as chief executive of the local government IT organisation.

Mountain's departure comes as the Society of IT Management (Socitm) completes the first phase of a corporate review, launched towards the end of 2007. Socitm said that the review, carried out in conjunction with consultants KPMG, aims to "shape the society's activities for its next stage of development". A new management structure will be put in place.

Socitm said it was undergoing a "period of intense change", brought about by the growing importance of ICT in the government's efficiency and customer-service agendas, and tight budgets.

Mountain joined Socitm as chief executive in 2002 after a career in public-sector IT that included being head of IT at Liverpool and Oxford councils, and work as a consultant in local government. She will continue in a consultative role at Socitm until the end of March.

Commenting on her resignation, Mountain said: "It has been my intention for a while to move to a new challenge, but I was keen to see the service review programme substantially complete and, now that the corporate services review is in full swing, I feel it to be an appropriate time to go."

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Rose Crozier, Socitm's president, praised Mountain's contribution to the organisation. "During Kate's tenure the society has seen a significant increase in membership, services and activity, and also in Socitm's influence on national policy for local and central government IT," said Crozier.

"Socitm now influences across local and central government on issues of both policy and delivery. Brands such as IT Trends, Better Connected and the Application Software Index are increasingly well known and well used," Crozier added.

"In overseeing these developments, Kate has brought huge personal commitment to the job," said Crozier.

The review is expected to be fully completed at the end of March.