DWP CIO Rich Corbridge leaving to join property developer

Rich Corbridge, the chief digital and information officer at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is leaving his role in November to take up a new post as chief information officer (CIO) at industrial property developer Segro.

Corbridge only joined DWP in April 2023, and Computer Weekly understands his departure is for personal reasons and not due to any issues with his role as digital chief at one of the largest government departments. His final day in the civil service will be 15 November.

He will become the first ever CIO at Segro, a real estate investment trust listed on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Paris, which owns, manages and develops modern warehouses and industrial property.

“The increased use of technology and data are integral to the delivery of our strategic goals,” said Soumen Das, Segro’s chief financial officer. “With Rich’s passion to drive change through technology, we will enhance our offering to customers, and maximise the talents of our colleagues by enabling more efficient and effective digital processes.”

At DWP, Corbridge was responsible for a budget of £1.4bn, in an organisation that transacts £170bn a year, manages 50 million lines of code and operates one of Europe’s largest IT estates. His remit at DWP included some of the highest-profile public services, such as Universal Credit and the state pension.

In an interview with Computer Weekly in July 2023, Corbridge said his first task had been to deliver a new business plan for his DWP Digital operation, which was achieved within four weeks.

“The expectations of digital around DWP are high, and rightly so,” he said at the time. “I see my role as a facilitator, easing our progress towards our goals by clearing the way and removing obstacles.”