University of Canberra taps Matt Carmichael as next CIO

The University of Canberra (UC) has tapped Matt Carmichael, an IT services director from Monash University, to be its CIO from next month.

It's the first time the university has had a dedicated CIO in three years; IT and digital were combined under a single C-level position in January 2019 when UC promoted then-CIO David Formica to chief digital information officer. 

UC relaunched the CIO role last year after Formica retired and Craig Mutton took over his digital responsibilities. 

CIO responsibilities since Formica's departure, meanwhile, have been exercised by two interim appointments.

Stef Batts-Cirilli was the initial interim CIO; he moved to deputy director of digital information and technology management when UC started looking for a permanent CIO in December last year.

Brett Lenthall was appointed interim CIO in December last year.

Carmichael joins UC "at a critical time in the delivery of [a] decadal strategy and will be instrumental in the development and implementation of the university’s digital master plan,” Mutton told iTnews. 

Starting in July, Carmichael will work across all three foundational plans in the 2023 - 2032 digital master plan: the cyber security strategy, platform roadmap and data strategy.

An extensive consultation is underway to co-design the plan’s objectives, key results and deliverables. 

The University has said that, “during the first consultation phase, we engaged widely, with over 150 UC stakeholders consulted directly and reviewed historical plans, strategies and documentation from similar digital projects undertaken in UC.” 

This led to the development of “six draft principles… along with some supporting objectives", upon which additional feedback was sought.

Although the three components of the digital master plan are not yet finalised, aspirations related to each strategy are mentioned UC’s Connected [pdf] plan. 

Carmichael at Monash

Commenting on Carmichael’s appointment to the role Mutton told iTnews he "has enjoyed an illustrious 25-year career in technology with the last 13 yeaers in the higher education sector and will bring a wealth of digital and IT experience and expertise to UC.”

The most recent of the many ICT roles that Carmichael has held at Monash since 2010 was director of support services and engagement and shared and campus services.

A source with knowledge of Monash’s ICT operations told iTnews that Carmichael “made a profound impact during his 13-year tenure at Monash University.”

“During the institution's critical Covid response, Matt played a pivotal role in enabling the institution to navigate the challenges.

“He swiftly set up multiple call centres overnight, facilitating student retention efforts, and accelerated the implementation and distribution of technology to ensure uninterrupted online operations before Melbourne went into lockdown, taking Monash Online. 

“Recognising the importance of mobility, he successfully advocated for the need for video conferencing and a transition to laptops, creating a mobile workforce that proved essential during the Covid response. 

“Furthermore, he initiated discussions about replacing the aged ERP system, leading to the creation of an initial business case that was accepted by the Vice-Chancellor.”