Agenda Setters: Where are they now… Sir Peter Gershon

With the countdown to this year's Agenda Setters report underway, we look back at the top 10 positions of this power list last year. At nine was Peter Gershon (minus his subsequent knighthood). We weigh up his chances this time out.

Peter Gershon. Sir Peter Gershon. Spot the difference? Let's just say that a knighthood in the 12 months since we last named our movers and shakers is an indication he hasn't done a shabby job of shaking up UK public sector spend - especially on large IT projects.

But where is he now? It's a good question.

After a long and impressive career in industry, Gershon took up his position at the Office of Government Commerce in 2000. His place near the top of our 2003 list was no fluke.

He quickly entered talks with suppliers, notably Microsoft - an agreement that was improved upon this summer.

His next steps included backing improvements in civil servants' IT project management skills (no small feat) and 'gateway' checks on projects.

Let's just say that he set agendas to such an extent that few came to doubt his value (the post's annual salary was £145,000 - far less than Gershon could have earned elsewhere) and after our last poll he was widely tipped as the next government CIO, along with NHS IT tsar Richard Granger (who placed at 14 in 2003).

That hasn't happened. A few directorships have. Gershon's biggest legacy, however, may prove to be carrying out the now infamous Efficiency Review green-lighted by the PM and Chancellor Gordon Brown a year ago. A 'leak' to the FT in February and then its publication this July showed how much more can be saved, not specifically just related to IT, as a number of insecure civil servants will tell you.

Another part of the legacy will be Project Zanzibar, an XML-based e-hub, possibly about to shave tens of millions of pounds off government procurement.

But while all this is impressive, remember Gershon actually left the OGC in the spring. His influence remains strong but he's not the government CIO (that's gone to Ian Whatmore, formerly of Accenture and waiting to take his post this September) and not the CEO of a major tech force. (For the record, the new OGC chief exec is John Oughton - you know you should know.)

Bravo, Sir Peter, but we're offering long odds on another top 10 finish this time out.

silicon.com's Agenda Setters panel, made up again of CIOs, analysts, VCs, consultants, lawyers, academics and other experts, will be convening this September at our London offices with our results revealed at the end of that month. If you want to pass on your comments for our experts, about Carly Fiorina or any other contender, drop us an email at editorial@silicon.com.