Organization : Group CIO

Phil Pavitt has been appointed the next CIO of HM Revenue and Customs, one of the biggest jobs a CIO can take on in the UK, and is due to start in September. Until then he remains group CIO for Transport for London (TfL), the role he was appointed to in early 2007.

His main task at TfL has been integrating the systems of the 13 individual companies that were combined to make the organisation eight years ago. As he says, his aim is to move IT off the board agenda by making it smooth-running.

Pavitt is involved in reducing TfL’s software estate to seven core applications and going through vendor agreements with due diligence. In doing so, he hopes to reduce his department’s spend by £400m.

That’s not to say he isn’t involved in some innovations too. TfL has recently concluded a trial with O2 and other interested parties around combining the Oyster payment card with mobile phones. Pavitt is also involved in a scheme to give road users up-to-date information about London travel conditions through sat-nav devices.

He began his career in 1996 as director of commercial support at CabelTel International. In 1998 he headed up NTL’s internet TV launch, becoming CIO for the company in 2003 and in 2005 he moved to Onetel, part of the Centrica group, also as CIO.

Alongside his work commitments, Pavitt is a trustee of Bar ‘N’ Bus, an outreach charity working with young people in South East Essex.