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Vivek Kundra joins Obama’s team

Washington: U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday appointed Vivek Kundra as the Federal Chief Information Officer, making him the highest ranking Indian American in his administration so far. Mr. Kundra (34) is currently the Chief Technology Officer for the District of Columbia, responsible for technology operations and strategy for 86 agencies. “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,” said Mr. Obama making his announcement.

Mr. Obama, who had relied heavily on information technology to run his election campaign, said: “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, Mr. Obama said Mr. Kundra would play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible. In this position, Mr. Kundra would direct the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments and would be responsible for oversight of federal technology spending. The Federal CIO establishes and oversees architecture to ensure system interoperability and information sharing and ensure information security and privacy across the federal government. Mr. Kundra will work closely with the CTO to advance the President’s technology agenda, the White House said. — PTI

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