Today, Sadiq Khan has announced that Theo Blackwell has been appointed as London’s first Chief Digital Officer. Responding to the announcement Richard Brown, Research Director at Centre for London, said:
“London now joins a cohort of cities – such as New York, Barcelona, Amsterdam – with a dedicated Chief Digital Officer to lead city-wide digital strategies and visions. The CDO’s appointment comes at a time when the strength of London’s tech sector is once most needed, and most vulnerable. It will be through embedding digital strategies across City Hall, and capital as a whole, that the CDO can help London succeed as a fair and prosperous global city.”
In 2016 Centre for London, the capital’s dedicated think tank, published a short report ‘A Chief Digital Officer for all Londoners‘. Produced in partnership with London First, the report set out the main requirements for the role.