NRI
Vivek Kundra, Federal Chief Information Officer, back
On The Job
WASHINGTON, DC, March 18, 2009
Federal Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra returned
to his job today, White House officials told the New York Times
after it was reported today by TechPresident.
Kundra took a five-day leave of absence after the FBI raided
his former stomping grounds: the District of Columbia Office of
the Chief Technology Officer. Kundra was not implicated in the
bribery charges that former employee Yusuf Acar now faces. Kundra's
quick departure from his new job came hours after his first public
appearance after taking on the new role. He spoke last week about
his priorities at the FOSE government technology trade show in
Washington.
Vivek
Kundra
takes a leave of absence when
NRI Sushil Bansal arrested
NRI Sushil Bansal CEO of the Advanced Integrated Technologies
Corporation (AITC), charged with bribery and money laundering.
Federal Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra's office was raided
by FBI agents because of kickbacks, bribery, conspiracy, money
laundering and conflict of interest there.
It is not confirmed that Vivek Kundra, 34, involved in any wrong
doing. He has taken a leave of absence according to White House
officials .....Read
More
NRI Vivek
Kundra was named Chief Information Officer by President Obama
Responsible for $71-billion in annual federal IT spending.
WASHINGTON, DC, March 5, 2009
Today, President Barack Obama named Vivek Kundra the Federal
Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the White House.
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 Federal 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.
President Obama 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. 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."
As CIO, Kundra will take the place of Karen Evans, former e-government
leader for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and have
an extremely broad set of responsibilities. He said he would scrutinize
the $71 billion that the federal government spends on technology
each year and make sure that it is managed effectively. He will
also make sure those investments increase public access to government
information, improve citizen participation, and help the public
sector adopt technology at least as fast as the private sector,
he said.
The following announcement was made today:
Vivek Kundra, Federal Chief Information Officer
Vivek Kundra formerly served in Mayor 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 recognized 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. Kundra is also recognized for his leadership in public
safety communications, cyber security and IT portfolio management.
Before Kundra came to the District, Governor Timothy M. Kaine
appointed him Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Technology for
the Commonwealth of Virginia, the first dual cabinet role in the
state's history. Kundra's diverse record also includes technology
and public policy experience in private industry and academia.
He is a graduate of the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute
for Political Leadership and holds a MS in Information Technology
from the University of Maryland.