Profile: Imperial's Chief Information Officer Mike Russell

Chief Information Officer Mike Russell joined Imperial in 2013, following nearly 30 years at Atkins, latterly as Director of Business Transformation.

What enticed you to switch to higher education after so long in the private sector?

I actually had a long association with the College, primarily through a business relationship between Atkins and the Business School. When I was offered the role at Imperial I was both flattered and excited by the opportunity to make a difference and bring a new perspective to the way in which things are done. By far the most enjoyable facet of the work here so far has been the people – the huge capability and intellect of our staff and students and the interesting things that they are doing.

The role of CIO was a newly created one, can you tell me a little more about what it entails?

Essentially there are two parts to it. I’m responsible for the day-to-day delivery of IT services to the College. But I also facilitate the use of digital technology in meeting the strategic objectives of the College, particularly around the education and research mission. Merely operating the IT effectively is not going to be good enough for the future – there’s a huge opportunity for us to leverage digital technology both in delivery of education and the way in which we support research and that requires a transformational mind-set.

So how are you transforming Imperial's digital tools?

One of the most enlightening aspects of my time at Imperial has been having contact with the students and the clarity with which they describe how they’d like to improve their experience. One of the biggest projects is the replacement of the student information management system. It’s not just a technology implementation programme though; we need to get real insight into what is required to improve the student experience and the processes involved.

And how are you supporting research?

One of the exercises I’ve undertaken is to channel more resources at the interface with research groups and Departments across College, so we have a better understanding of exactly what it is they are attempting to achieve. One of the jewels in the crown of the College is its High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities. The College is committed to a further £2 million a year investment in order to expand and improve those HPC facilities and our aim is to make sure it is available to as many groups as need it for research purposes.

What are some of the most difficult challenges you face?

Cybersecurity is a big one. We’ve got some really valuable digital assets and there’s a challenge around handling data and protecting it from misuse. We hold information that’s been handed to us in trust by our research and strategic partners so this isn’t just about exposure of your own personal data – it’s other people’s data that we have an obligation to maintain.

On a more personal note Mike, are you a technophile yourself and do you have any favourite gadgets?

I have more computers at home than most, some long obsolete, which is perhaps a sad reflection of a background in ICT but also because of a curiosity about emerging technology. Recently I’ve become interested in home automation which is all about how technology can make life easier. I’m also quite proud of the fact that my 81-year-old mother is wedded to her iPad, even though I resist the long support calls that are involved with that.

And finally, both Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk have both said in recent months they fear the rise of AI – what are your thoughts?

I would echo their concerns and we should be cautious about the application of machines that purport to have intelligence and how they might make decisions and what they might do. However, there is a concern that will come up far earlier than AI and that will be loss of privacy. I think we’ll discover in the next few years that our notions of privacy will become challenged by data disclosures – either by criminal activity or accident.