Innovate, collaborate and achieve

By Sandy Woolfrey-Fahey | July 25, 2014

When Memorial commenced recruitment for its first chief information officer (CIO), the search committee had a clear vision.

Committee members were looking for someone who could significantly impact the culture of information, security, privacy and technological advancement within the university. They were also looking for someone to lead information strategy to enable academic, research, teaching and administrative functions.

On June 24 Shelley Smith became Memorial University’s first CIO. She is tasked with setting the vision, strategy and long-term implementation approach to transform information practices across the university.

“Universities are stewards of large amounts of personal, confidential and sensitive data — both academic and administrative,” explained Ms. Smith. “In such an environment, I see my role as a collaborator and a broker across all disciplines and mandates. I want to bring people and technologies together in ways that enable them to innovate, collaborate and achieve their mandates, and to do so through an efficient, effective and integrated use of resources.”

Ms. Smith is a Memorial alumna of sociology/anthropology and history and she has had a career spanning nearly three decades in the public sector. Immediately prior to coming to Memorial, she was executive director of corporate and information management services at the Office of the Chief Information Officer with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and a particular focus on information management policy, practice and awareness to improve efficiency across organizations.

Ms. Smith recognizes one of the greatest challenges ahead undoubtedly is the pace of technology change, combined with what she referred to as the “nexus of forces” created by mobility, the Cloud and the explosion of information in all forms and in all places, blurring personal and professional data, and creating liabilities for individuals and organizations.

Although still in the early days of the role, Ms. Smith’s immediate goals are guided by Memorial’s frameworks and the community of students, faculty and staff across the institution.

“I am excited to be part of Memorial’s renewed and strong commitment to teaching and learning, research, public engagement and to growing enrolment, especially in graduate studies. I want to ensure that through the mandate of the office of Memorial’s CIO, I can promote and support an environment that enables students and faculty to generate knowledge and contribute to it in ways that benefit the university, and the community as a whole. I also want to ensure that administrative systems and processes which support the university are maximized through the use of technology and information management best practice.”


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