Following an extensive recruitment process, Macquarie alumnus Jonathan Covell has been appointed as Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO) for the Macquarie University Group.

Mr Covell (BCom, LLB) joined the University in 2019 as Director of IT for MQ Health, after leading several large, complex and high-profile digital programs in State and Federal Government organisations. He served as the University’s Deputy Chief Information Officer from 2021 until his appointment to the Acting CIDO role in June this year, following the departure of outgoing CIDO Tim Hume.

Nicole Gower, Vice-President Professional Services, says Mr Covell’s proven leadership capabilities and strong track record in delivering positive outcomes within both health and university settings made him a compelling choice.

“Having searched far and wide for our next CIDO, I’m so pleased that the best candidate has come from within our own community,” she says. “It really is testament to the calibre of our people and the exceptional work that IT has delivered over the past five years.

“With his existing knowledge of our digital transformation and IT strategies, Jonathan is ideally placed to lead the University through our next phase of delivering these core programs, providing momentum and stability for our IT team and the whole university.”

Having worked closely with interim Digital Transformation leads Vanessa Tam and Hannah Latham over the past four months (“it has been in good hands”), Mr Covell says he is excited to lead the University towards a new digital future – one where innovative thinking can flourish.

“Having been both a student and staff member at Macquarie, I know our organisation is unique in its appetite for trying new things. It is an ethos that I have come to embrace and, as CIDO, I am keen to empower the IT team to explore new processes and technologies to better suit the needs of our stakeholders,” Mr Covell says.

“We will be leveraging the IT team’s strong foundations, processes and strategic vision to help Macquarie stay agile in our rapidly changing sector and build a strong service delivery culture so we’re partnering to deliver fit-for-purpose solutions.”