Following the Queen's approval of its revamped royal
charter in May, the BCS is aiming to get more senior IT users to
join its Elite (Effective Leadership in IT) group through a more
flexible membership structure.
This autumn Elite, whose membership comprises several hundred
senior IT users, is set to expand under its new chairman Ben Booth,
IT director of market research organisation Mori.
Membership of Elite is free and open to all those with overall
responsibility for the management of IT. Although Elite is
independent of suppliers, board-level representatives from the IT
supply and services industry play a part in the Elite programme.
The group stresses that any supplier trying to use its meetings to
buy or sell IT products or services will be excluded.
Although membership is free, Elite members have to pay their way at
the events they attend.
In addition to Booth, this year's Elite executive committee
includes David Rippon, director of the University of London
Computer Centre; Bob Harvey, director of information services at
Barnado's; Howell Huws, director of ICT at South West London Health
Authority; and David Tidey, IT director for the Royal Borough of
Chelsea & Kensington.
Also on the committee are the heads of three other IT user groups:
Roger Ellis, chairman of the IT Directors' Network; David Roberts,
chief executive of the Corporate IT Forum; and John Riley of the
Computer Weekly 500 Club.
www.elite.bcs.org