Digital Government Excellence

CHAPTER 19Tim Occleshaw: New Zealand

 

As the government chief technology officer and deputy government chief digital officer, Tim Occleshaw led the New Zealand public sector's digital government team from its inception in 2012 until stepping down in late 2019. During Tim's term, New Zealand became to be hailed as a standout digital nation and was a founding member of the Digital Nations Group.

Prior to his digital government role, Tim was deputy commissioner at Inland Revenue, responsible for information, design, and systems, and before that, CIO at the Ministry of Social Development. He was recognized as New Zealand CIO of the Year in 2008. Tim has also worked in the financial services sector in both Australia and New Zealand in various executive roles.

Outside of his digital leadership roles, Tim is also a professional musician and published author (under the pen name William Henshaw). Tim currently is semi-retired, and a part-time consultant in digital governance.

 

 

 

One of the first times Tim and I properly talked was in a place called Hell. Not to worry—it was only a cellar bar in the medieval old town in Tallinn, Estonia, when Tim was in town for one of the very first Digital Nations meetings. So, Tim and I started from Hell.

This became a series of conversations that continued across several continents, and quite a few craft beers. We picked each other's brains on ...