Employees

CIO/Executive Director

Employee Name:

Michael Carpenter

Title:

CIO/Executive Director

Ministry:

Ministry of Finance

Background:

Education: Bachelor of Arts (Brandon University); Certificate, Management of Information Technology (U. of Alberta)
Member of the BC Public Service Since: 2002

My Role

My branch is responsible for information management and information technology policy, strategic and investment planning and service delivery. In addition, we are responsible for information security and privacy protection; freedom of information services to the public and records management. Our responsibilities include ensuring that technology practices meet government standards and leveraging technology to deliver business transformation and improvement. We also have a big role in ensuring that sensitive and personal information is protected — privacy and security is a top priority for government. Finally, we lead and facilitate the annual capital planning process, which is how the ministry decides on the annual IM/IT investment priorities.

Career Path:

I began my professional career teaching adult education on a First Nations reserve in central Manitoba. I then worked as a civil servant delivering vocational/career counselling and organizational development services in Manitoba and Alberta. I was with the Alberta Government for 11 years which included managing regional service delivery, directing strategic planning in the ministry and three years as Chief Information Officer/IT Director. I left government to work in the newspaper and video game industries. I returned to government service in 2002.

What I Like Best:

Being successful as a CIO requires me to learn about the business processes of our customers. I'm a learning and information addict. My current job gives me ample opportunity for learning new things. It also provides a lot of variety, which is important to me. For example, working with other ministries in the government greatly expands my opportunity for new learning. I also really appreciate the opportunity to make a difference in the confidence of our citizens in government services — I think we can feel justifiably proud of our contribution and the work we do.

Ideas At Work:

As our world becomes increasingly digital, there are both opportunities and challenges. While systems and processes that protect the personal information of our citizens are critical, electronic services are also improving the quality of service delivery to British Columbians. Information technology can fundamentally change the way citizens and government interact and can yield enormous benefits in efficiency, convenience and accessibility. I think that the coming years will be very exciting in this field.

Advice:

If you are coming from an information technology background, learn to speak and think like a business person. Develop world-class "soft" skills — consultation, communication and team functioning. Find ways to exhibit leadership in every job you do. There are two different career paths that can lead to my job. The technical path requires one to release deep technical skills to allow focus on the business and overall vision and strategy. A variety of university programs exist that provide business and strategic leadership skills for technical people. If you are coming from the business side, try to get assigned to technical initiatives in your business area.