BusinessWeek has an article on who would be the best candidate to fill the role as chief technology officer in an Obama administration – if he were to win the election, of course.
The potential candidates include Google’s Vint Cerf; Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer; Amazon CEO Jeffrey Bezos; Lawrence Lessig, founder of Stanford University's Center for the Internet and Society; and Ed Felten, whom BusinessWeek describes as “a prominent professor of computer science and public affairs at Princeton University.”
That’s the exact same list offered up by The Washingtonian in an article in its July issue (and posted on its Web site a week or so before that). The Washingtonian named two other candidates: eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, and Lotus pioneer Mitch Kapor.
The issue still stands, however, as pointed out in a previous Tech Insider item, whether these luminaries would leave their posts for a government job. BusinessWeek offers a little insight into whether they just may. Felten says in the article, “Almost anyone would be interested in doing that job.”
There’s also the issue of whether it would be more prudent to appoint someone who knows his or her way around government. But that would depend on what the CTO is there to accomplish -- to make government more efficient and a better strategic user of technology or to offer advice on policies involving science and technology. Those are two different roles.
Hat tip: Dorobek Insider
COMMENTS
If the insider's information regarding the potential CTO in an Obama administration, then GREAT. Once again, Obama proves one bests person when making decisions for our future.
Lorraine 10/21/08 07:39 am ET