Australian Research Council names Conn as CIO

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has named its new chief information officer as Peter Conn.

Conn has been acting CIO – promoted from director of operations for the ARC’s ICT Services Branch – following the departure of Trish Leahey earlier this year.

Leahey spent five years with the ARC, before she left the organisation in August to take up the role of inaugural CIO at the National Gallery of Australia

Conn is responsible for all ICT services for the ARC including the provision of a suite of web applications for ARC clients — such as its Research Management System (RMS) and System to Evaluate the Excellence (SEER). He’ll also provide support for ARC’s corporate applications, desktop, IT security and infrastructure services, the council said.

Conn joined the ARC in March 2014, from the Department of Finance.

“During his career in ICT he has held a broad range of roles in government and the private sector, contributing his skills and expertise to the delivery of ICT infrastructure and application projects as well as playing a critical role in Service Delivery Reform,” the ARC said in a statement today.