Government hires chief data officer

The Department for Science, Innovation and Development (DSIT) has appointed Lindsay Mason as government chief data officer (CDO) on a temporary basis.

Mason, who previously was the head of data, management, governance and capability development at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) joined the department earlier in June 2025 to take up the role as data chief at the Government Digital Service (GDS) while the government recruits for a permanent replacement.

According to DSIT's job ad, the CDO role comes with a salary of up to £175,000, and "will lead the UK Government’s efforts to harness this data responsibly, securely, and to maximum public benefit". 

The CDO will also be "responsible for coordinating the government's data strategy, focusing on improving quality and standards,"  the job ad said. 

"Improving our data foundations including addressing the root cause issues described in the recent State of digital government review will be essential to realising the government’s vision." 

Temporary CDO Mason has an interesting background, having joined government in April 2022 from John Lewis where she worked as the data governance lead. Her background is not the traditional route into the data sector, as Mason worked as a fashion merchandiser in various roles for a decade, before deciding to focus on data.  

As government CDO, she is responsible for the government’s data strategy, data quality, standards and interoperability. Her appointment comes as former CDO Craig Suckling left the role earlier this year for a move to the private sector as Capgemini’s chief AI officer for Europe. Suckling himself only held the role as CDO for a year, and his departure was the latest in a series of digital leaders leaving government.

The digital centre of government has also recently seen the departure of former government chief digital officer Mike Potter, as well as Gina Gill, who was chief strategy officer at the Central Digital & Data Office (CDDO). DSIT permanent secretary Sarah Munby is due to depart later this summer.

In January, Laura Gilbert, head of i.AI, the government’s artificial intelligence (AI) incubator, also left, although she is still seconded to government once a week through her current role at the Tony Blair Institute.

Notably, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) CIO Richard Corbridge also departed in March 2025, after two years in the role.

Earlier this year, the government announced plans to shake up the digital centre, with GDS merging once again with the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), which was split away from GDS by the previous Conservative government in 2021.

Two other teams, the Incubator for AI and the Geospatial Commission, also became part of GDS. Each of those organisations were brought under control of DSIT after the general election in 2024.

This new GDS is currently led by Joanna Davinson, former executive director of the CDDO, who has returned to government in this role on an interim basis.

The government’s data strategy is currently focused on five key themes, including unlocking access and breaking down silos while still maintaining public trust in data sharing, as well as having a targeted approach to AI enablement and real-time data exchange.

It also includes addressing cultural barriers and ensuring governance and transparency measures are in place, enabling innovation at scale through legislation, policy and standards, and reducing costs while also increasing resilience through modern data architecture and infrastructure.

In October 2024, the government launched a digital and data panel to help drive forward its vision of unlocking their full potential.

The panel, which consists of 12 digital professionals and academia, is being chaired by serial entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox and CDDO chair Paul Willmott.

Computer Weekly has approached DSIT for comment on the appointment of Lindsay Mason, but did not receive one before publication.