Chris Fechner has been named the new CEO of the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) in a five-year role that will see him take over the department in charge of developing government IT infrastructure and services.
Over the past decade, Fechner has headed up IT clusters in the NSW and Queensland state governments and spent nearly four years as the CIO of NSW’s Department of Planning and Environment.
As head of the DTA, Fechner will oversee the continued development of online government services such as MyGov and the Digital Identity project up to which Eftpos recently signed.
Previously sitting in the Department of Social Services, the DTA was moved to once again sit under the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet earlier this year, and ministerial responsibility was handed to Employment Minister, Stuart Robert.
In a statement, Robert said Fechner was a fine choice for the CEO role and would bring a wealth of government IT knowledge to the position.
“Mr Fechner will bring proven and strong leadership to the DTA, as it plays its key role in our ambitious push to become one of the top three digital governments in the world by 2025,” Robert said.
“A key part of delivering on this ambition is delivering simple, secure and trusted digital services, making it easy for people and businesses to deal with government.”
The DTA is in charge of government IT procurement and maintains the Digital Marketplace, the platform used to bid for lucrative government tenders.
It also has the stated aim of developing, delivering, and monitoring government IT policy, strategy, and investment and is helping to improve the digital skillset of the Australian Public Service.
Fechner will take over from acting CEO Peter Alexander in mid-October.
