The Information Commissioner’s Office has kicked off the search for an interim chief executive to run the organisation under the new model which will bring the ICO in line with other UK regulators ushering in a traditional board structure, under the Information Commission.
The changes were first proposed in the Data & Digital Information Bill published by the previous Government in 2021 but which fell at the last hurdle before the 2024 general election.
However, they were reprised in the Data (Use & Access) Bill, and, although the legislation is still going through Parliament, the plan will also see beefed up powers of enforcement, amid claims that this will “ensure people’s personal data will be protected to high standards”.
Out goes the commissioner role to be replaced by a chair, chief executive and a board; the future of current commissioner John Edwards is not clear.
According to the job spec, the interim CEO “will play an integral role in strategic leadership, planning, performance and decision making, leading the work to set up the Information Commission Board, while transitioning staff, property and operations from the ICO to the Information Commission, maintaining strong operational performance throughout”.
The successful candidate must be a “people-orientated and visible leader [who] will maintain high levels of motivation and cooperation, setting and embedding a culture of curiosity, collaboration, impact and inclusion to deliver regulatory interventions that improve people’s lives, reduce burdens, promote economic growth and innovation and enable efficient public services”.
They will also play a key role in ensuring that the Information Commission is an inclusive regulator and employer.
Candidates must also bring “a successful track record of credible and strategic leadership, having worked at the highest levels of public or commercial life in suitably complex, highly regulated organisations”.
Finally, “having embraced opportunities to innovate, you will have delivered and embedded multi-faceted business change to deliver required strategic outcomes, evolving organisational capability and shaping governance approaches to maximise efficiency, effectiveness, value for money and maintain external stakeholder confidence”.
The salary for the role has not been disclosed but there are wide variations across UK regulatory authorities. John Edwards’ current remuneration sits in Senior Civil Service pay band 3 of between £128,000 to £208,100, while Ofcom CEO Dame Melanie Dawes earns £357,000 a year and Financial Conduct Authority CEO Nikhil Rathi gets a basic salary of £470,000.
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