New South Wales Electoral Commission has appointed a new director of business systems as part of a corporate restructure which led to the resignation of its high-profile former CIO Ian Brightwell last year. Simon Chalmers has been in the role since February after leaving his previous position of CIO at the Parliament of NSW, where he’d been working since 2007. The technology function at the commission – previously headed by Brightwell – underwent a split last year, leading to the creation of two new functions: information services and corporate service. John Cant, who filled Brightwell’s role until the restructure, has been executive director, information services since June. After his resignation Brightwell, who had spent 11 years with the commission, told CIO Australia he hadn’t wanted to continue in the role due to dysfunction in the department. “That’s the situation that emerged and that was largely down to senior management decisions. You’ve got to say ‘well if they have made that decision, there’s something wrong’. If I take myself out of the equation, there’s a chance they might sort it out,” Brightwell said at the time.. The commission’s 2016 Annual Report, published in October, indicated a move to as-a-service model for IT, noting “future ICT business investment is likely to move towards service as a delivery rather than ownership of assets”. It also noted it would be moving to a GovDC data centre, since its lease on a Riverwood warehouse – where its data centre is housed – was coming to an end. A replacement of the commission’s decade old financial management system is also on the horizon. It is “timely to review the core system” the annual report states, adding “we will conduct a feasibility study into options available, including integrated systems such as SAP”.Run for parliament The Parliament of NSW is currently seeking a replacement for Chalmers. His replacement will head the Department of Parliamentary Services and have four direct reports. As well as looking after the technology infrastructure for Parliament House and electorate offices across NSW, the role encompasses responsibility for the Parliamentary Library and Hansard.The successful candidate will take home a still-negotiable salary of around $170,000 a year. The closing date for applications is March 26.In May last year, the NSW Government amalgamated a number of councils across the region. In February the government announced in principle support for the creation of a further five new councils in metropolitan Sydney.Elections for the new councils will take place later this year. Related content brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery interview WestRock CIDO Amir Kazmi on building resiliency Multidimensional resiliency is vital to setting yourself, your teams, and your organization up for success. Kazmi sets the tone at WestRock by recognizing the pace of change, instilling a learning and growth mindset, and being transparent with his te By Dan Roberts Dec 07, 2023 8 mins IT Strategy Staff Management IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe