Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson is a Professor of Digital Economy in INDEX (Initiative for the Digital Economy). He is closely associated with the push for adoption of open standards and digital platforms in the public sector. He chairs a variety of digital conferences, and has published on the topic in Government Information Quarterly, Public Administration, Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory, The MJ, Computer Weekly, Government Computing, The Guardian, Financial Times, Digital Leaders, and The Economist. Other academic journal publications include Organization Science, Organization, Academy of Management Review, Human Relations, etc. Mark blends the roles of academic, practitioner, and policy commentator, and has performed two advisory roles for Cabinet Office (IT Futures Advisor and member of Data Panel), two terms on the board of TechUK, was Technology Advisor for Scottish Government, and also built and sold public sector transformation specialists Methods Group. Mark has keynoted Departmental Awaydays for Home Office, DfE, DEFRA, DWP, GDS, and MHCLG, as well as many senior audiences (e.g. General Staff, British Army, Cabinet Office Round Tables. Mark’s co-authored book, Digitizing Government, appeared in December 2014, and Manifesto for Better Public Services launched at the Institute for Government in April 2018. Mark worries a LOT about how much precious public funding is wasted on non value-add activity – waste that could be halted if we used digital thinking to redesign our public services.