Obama appoints Vivek Kundra as Federal CIO

Washington: President Barack Obama has appointed New Delhi-born Vivek Kundra (34) to the new administrative position of the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the White House.

''As Chief Information Officer, he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible,'' President Obama, said in a statement on Friday.

He further said, ''Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position.''

''I have directed him to work to ensure that we are using the spirit of American innovation and the power of technology to improve performance and lower the cost of government operations,'' he continued.

The Federal Chief Information Officer directs the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments and is responsible for oversight of federal technology spending.

The CIO establishes and oversees enterprise architecture to ensure system interoperability and information sharing and ensure information security and privacy across the federal government.

The CIO will also work closely with the Chief Technology Officer to advance the President's technology agenda. Vivek Kundra formerly served in Washington DC Mayor Adrian M Fenty's cabinet as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the District of Columbia, responsible for technology operations and strategy for 86 agencies.

He has been recognised among the top 25 CTO's in the country and

as the 2008 IT Executive of the Year for his pioneering work to

drive transparency, engage citizens and lower the cost of government

operations.

Mr Kundra holds an MS in Information Technology and a BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland. He is also a graduate of the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.