Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has appointed the capital’s first ever chief digital officer.
Theo Blackwell will be tasked with transforming how London’s public services are designed and delivered to make them more accessible for Londoners.
Blackwell will also work to ensure that London makes the best possible use of new technology and will play a pivotal role in building collaboration across London’s boroughs and businesses.
He will also work to promote Khan’s ambitions for pan-London collaboration on connectivity, digital inclusion, cybersecurity and open data.
Speaking about his new role, Blackwell said: “The new chief digital officer post is an amazing opportunity to make our capital even more open to innovation, support jobs and investment and make our public services more effective.
“The pace of change over the next decade requires public services to develop a stronger relationship with the tech sector.
“Our purpose is to fully harness London’s world-class potential to make our public services faster and more reliable at doing things we expect online, but also adaptable enough to overcome the capital’s most complex challenges.”
Blackwell has more than two decades worth of experience in tech and digital transformation, having worked both in the public and private sector.