The top team of the new Information Commission is starting to take shape after current deputy chief executive and chief operating officer Paul Arnold has been named the first CEO of the future regulator.
Under changes laid out in the Data (Use & Access) Act, the watchdog’s governance structure will be brought in line with other UK regulators, which have more of a corporate composition. Out will go the Commissioner and in will come a chair (current commissioner John Edwards), a CEO and a board of non-executive directors.
It is claimed the move will make the organisation more resilient as a regulator, increasing the diversity of its strategic leadership.
Arnold has been appointed following a recruitment process that concluded in May of this year. His immediate priority is to ensure a smooth transition for the ICO to the new Commission. He will also be ensuring that the first strategy is developed effectively and that the ICO’s ongoing transformation continues during the transition.
With over 25 years’ experience, the past 15 at the ICO, Arnold insists his approach to regulation combines supporting economic growth while protecting people from harm. This means empowering people to confidently share their information to use the products and services that drive our economy and our society, while helping organisations to responsibly use information to invest and innovate.
He has overseen the development and transformation of the ICO through many periods of societal and economic change. These include the evolution of cloud computing and online services, the rise of social media platforms, the implementation of GDPR and changes to how people live and work following a global pandemic.
As a severely visually impaired person, Arnold is passionate about equality of access to opportunity and showcasing the importance and potential of people like him, doing jobs like his, making it easy for others to expect to do the same. He is also a trustee of RNIB and chair of the National Visually Impaired Football League.
Recognising that a permanent CEO cannot be appointed until the Commission board is in place, Arnold’s appointment is for a maximum two-year interim period until a permanent recruitment process is then undertaken.
Arnold said: “I believe we have a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how effectively protecting and safeguarding people also enables responsible businesses and organisations to innovate and grow.”
The recruitment process for the non-executive directors to join the future Information Commission board is a public appointments process, recently launched by Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.
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