OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 20258GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKIN MYOPINIONTransitioning from Private to Public SectorI have spent significant time in the private sector, working for companies like RightNow Technologies, Socrata, and Oracle. I have served in various roles, such as developer, salesperson and solution consultant, and managed all of them. I have been in my current role for over four years. Before assuming this role, I worked for a small system integrator that focused on Oracle's cloud customer experience solutions. I worked on enhancing CX for many large public and private sector customers ­ something that has shaped my thought processes at the State of Montana. These experiences have added invaluable additions to my professional toolbox. This varied history has served me well. It has helped me in my current role focusing on finances, communicating vision, implementing strategies, and negotiating contracts with vendors. Integrating Technology in the Government SectorThe state government has been slower in adopting new technologies due to the risk involved with citizen data. We must ensure we mitigate risk to the best of our ability. The government has set guidelines for approaching vendors and procuring services. You must focus on the return on investment, except that, in the public sector, your return will not necessarily be only financial. Instead, we apply a framework that puts equal value on the value provided to both citizens and employees of the state.The state is led by a team headed by Governor Gianforte, the former CEO and founder of RightNow Technologies, a CX SaaS company. In his direction for IT, the governor has emphasized digitization with a focus on implementing AI to improve the citizen experience. We hope to bring this together in a portal called my.mt.gov. We are also focusing on reducing technical debt by replacing old, outdated systems with modern ones and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. At the same time, we want to transition how we deliver services with a business consultant approach to becoming a better business partner to agencies. My experience as a consultant in CX firms has helped me lead from the front by working with some groups in a very hands-on fashion. Other steps to improve the experience for both citizens and employees also include significant efforts to implement Kevin Gilbertson is the Chief Information Officer for the State of Montana and a member of the cabinet. He has over three decades of experience in high-tech and business consulting, with more than 20 years focused on transforming customer experience. As Montana's CIO, some of his key accomplishments include leading the state to be free of mainframes, coordinating a unified state IT strategy, and reorganizing Montana Central IT. Chief Information Officer, State of MontanaKevin GilbertsonEMBRACING TECHNOLOGY IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR By
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