Panel

Geoff Connell, Director of Digital Services, Norfolk County Council
Geoff is a highly experienced local public sector ICT manager who is responsible for technology and digital service delivery at Norfolk County Council. He has previously led teams in multiple London Boroughs to modernise and optimise ICT infrastructures, as well as delivering digitally enabled transformation programmes to implement new organisational delivery models. He is active in various national and regional collaborative bodies and chairs the Socitm Local CIO Council & the national Cyber Technical Advisory Group (CTAG).

Phil Rumens, Digital Services Manager, West Berkshire Council
With over 20 years of experience in public sector IT and Digital, Phil has a wealth of knowledge around redesigning better cheaper public services facilitated by the use of the internet and its associated technology. He was chair of LocalGov Digital, a network of digital practitioners working in and around local government between 2016 and 2022. As Digital Services Manager for West Berkshire, he leads a team creating new and managing existing digital services, and new digital innovations such as the practical use of artificial intelligence. Phil is passionate about creating better, more joined up, cost effective public services to meet the evolving expectations of local government service users.

Rob McCarthy, CEO and Founder, GOSS
Rob is the CEO of GOSS Interactive, digital transformation specialist and supplier to over 70 UK public sector organisations. Rob has successfully managed the growth of GOSS over the past 20+ years and is responsible for the strategic direction, company profitability, and future growth of GOSS.

Sam Smith, Director of Institute, Socitm
Sam, the immediate past president of Socitm and assistant director of customer and digital services for Cambridgeshire County Council and assistant director of digital and data services for Peterborough City Council, took on this new role in July. The institute takes over Socitm’s activities in areas such as leadership development, research and benchmarking. She oversees its development and contribution to the society’s strategic direction.

Helen Olsen Bedford, Publisher, UKAuthority 
UKAuthority founder, Helen, has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist and thought leader on the use of digital, data and technology in the health and public sector. From September 2013 to March 2016, as part of a contract won by UKAuthority in open tender, she acted as Head of Communications for the then Department of Communities and Local Government’s Local Digital Programme, managing the communications and engagement campaign to promote digital transformation across local services. She is passionate about the use of DDaT for the public good – the ethos of UKAuthority.