The Appointments Panel of Kensington and Chelsea Council met on Wednesday 22 July 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was the interview for the Chief Information Officer position. The meeting also included a period of silence to commemorate the Grenfell tragedy.

Interview for Chief Information Officer

The panel was scheduled to interview candidates for the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO). This position, within the Chief Executive's Directorate and ICT Service, is graded at Grade M. The job purpose of the CIO is to provide strategic leadership for all digital, data, technology (DDaT) and information services, ensuring their alignment with the council's corporate plan and transformation ambitions. Key responsibilities include shaping and enabling the organisation's DDaT strategy, ensuring resilient, secure, and user-centred services, and leading technology operations. The role also involves driving digitally enabled transformation, overseeing data and information governance in conjunction with the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO), and ensuring compliance with data protection legislation. Furthermore, the CIO is expected to work with the Cyber Security Senior Officer to align DDaT and Cyber Security strategies with National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) best practice, manage technical risk, and ensure robust cyber security controls. The position also requires effective service leadership, including staff development, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, and accountability for budget, contract, and supplier management.

The selection criteria for the role emphasised essential requirements such as proven senior leadership in large-scale digital/technology environments, experience in achieving ICT-enabled outcomes, and a strong understanding of managing technical and organisational ICT risk. Candidates were expected to demonstrate a strategic mindset, collaborative approach, and influencing skills. Significant experience in managing large, complex budgets and enabling large-scale digital transformation within complex organisations was also a key requirement. A deep understanding of public sector governance, risk, procurement, and regulatory frameworks, alongside best practices in cyber security, data governance, enterprise architecture, and modern technology delivery, was essential. The role also required experience working in or closely with local government, a strong understanding of transformation enablers, and experience overseeing contract management frameworks for ICT. Candidates were also assessed on the council's four key values and behaviours: Putting Communities First, Respect, Integrity, and Working Together.

The CVs for the candidates were to be circulated later as exempt supplementary papers. The agenda indicated that this item would be discussed in private, with the press and public excluded, due to the potential for information relating to individuals to be revealed, which was considered exempt under the Local Government Act 1972.