UK appoints road information tsar

The Highways Agency (HA) in the UK has appointed the former IT director at mobile phone maker Sendo as its first director of information.

Denise Plumpton will be have the task of improving the quality of information drivers receive in order to find ways around congested areas. The role will mean controlling a staff of around 150, a direct budget of £25m and influence over a further £100m, the HA said.

The HA, an executive agency of the Department for Transport, nowadays has to manage traffic on the UK road network as well as maintain motorways and trunk roads.

Plumpton will be a member of the HA board and report directly to the CEO, Archie Robertson, who made the appointment.

He said in a statement: "This is a big, new appointment... Providing better information for road users is at the heart of our strategy. Technological developments are opening up."

Plumpton was IT director at Sendo for roughly a year and before that group IT director for UK and Ireland at logistics company TNT. She is also chairman of the Corporate IT Forum.