Connell, director of ICT services for oneSource, the shared back offices service for the London boroughs of Newham and Havering.

Connell, who ranked number 32 in CIO Magazine’s 2014 ‘top 100’ chief information officers, takes over as president from Nadira Hussein, who is One Oracle programme manager at oneSource,

On his appointment, Connell said that IT leaders should position themselves as ‘enablers, innovators and shapers of business change’.

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A failure to do so, he said, would be to be pigeon-holed as the ‘tin and wires’ geek - and risk moving down the value chain as day to day ICT service management becomes ever more commoditised.

Connell also said that he will continue to highlight workforce during his presidency, carrying on the work from Hussain, who focused on attracting more women into the profession.

Connell was CIO at Newham from 2007 until the link up with Havering in 2009.

He has worked in local authority ICT since joining the London borough of Redbridge in 1988. He moved to Newham in 2001.

Head of ICT at Aberdeenshire Council, Nicola Graham, has been named as the new vice-president of Socitm.

Graham, who was named digital leader of the year at Holyrood’s Connect awards last year, will take over the second most senior role in the organisation.

It comes after Graham spent the last year as chair of Socitm Scotland and was announced at the body’s spring conference, which is taking place in London.