Acertitude Recruits Former GE CIO to Lead Global IT Strategy at DXC Technology

February 20, 2020 – Executive search firm Acertitude has recruited Chris Drumgoole as executive vice president and chief information officer for Tysons, VA-based DXC Technology. The search was led by Kevin O’Neill, founder and managing partner, supported by partner Geoffrey Votta. The assignment was completed in just 88 days.
“Chris Drumgoole is an extraordinary technology executive and the DXC ecosystem is tailor made for a leader of his caliber to shine and deliver outstanding results,” said Mr. O’Neill. “We are delighted to have played a part in putting DXC together with this brilliant leader.”
“We’re pleased to add someone with the experience and capabilities Chris brings,” said Mike Salvino, CEO of DXC. “In his role as CIO, Chris will deploy the same core capabilities that DXC delivers for its clients. In doing this, he will showcase the advantages of a focused strategy based on DXC’s enterprise technology stack – and the impact it can have on customers, people and operational execution.”
Mr. Drumgoole has more than 20 years of experience in the digital and information technology industry, including significant technology work with the U.S. government. He previously served as chief information officer at GE, where he led the company’s global technology operations, including applications, infrastructure and related shared services. Prior to the CIO role, he served as chief technology officer. Mr. Drumgoole joined GE from Verizon, where he served as chief operating officer of the company’s Terremark subsidiary, a cloud, hosting and data center provider. He joined Verizon through its acquisition of Terremark, where he served as a member of the executive leadership team.
In his new role, Mr. Drumgoole will lead DXC’s global IT strategy and operations, helping the company deliver on the technology needs of its customers. He will head a team responsible for running DXC’s technology operations, integrating and streamlining systems and implementing new digital capabilities to improve performance and efficiency. His team also will be charged with ensuring the security and stability of DXC’s global IT infrastructure.
“I’m excited to join a team that’s committed to digital technologies that can bring performance, efficiency, and security to DXC and its customers,” Mr. Drumgoole said. “I look forward to making our IT operation a case study for what can be accomplished through strategic insight and innovation across the technology stack.”
Founded in 2015, Acertitude specializes in recruiting CEO, C-suite and executive talent in the consumer, financial, healthcare and life sciences, industrial, private equity, professional services and technology sectors. Its consultants work from offices in Boston; London; Los Angeles; New York; Philadelphia; Providence, RI; Raleigh, NC; Shanghai; Tampa, FL; and Washington, D.C.
With more than 25 years’ experience in global talent consulting, Mr. O’Neill has conducted over 500 senior executive and C-level searches in the consumer, industrial, and private equity sectors. Mr. Votta brings a track record discovering and engaging senior leadership teams that deliver, in his words, “measurable success.” He specializes in finding automotive, supply chain and technology leadership.
CIO Recruiting
It only makes sense that CIO hiring and recruiting information technology teams are on the rise. Nearly a quarter (22 percent) of U.S. CIOs plan to expand their IT teams, according to the Robert Half Technology “IT Hiring Forecast Trend Report.” It represents a three-point rise from the beginning of last year and an eight percentage-point jump from one year ago.
In recent months, a number of organizations have turned to executive search firms to help them find top flight CIOs. Here are a few of the top assignments tracked by Hunt Scanlon Media:
Sydney-headquartered search firm the Insight Group placed Michelle Rennie as the new CIO of the Royal Children’s Hospital. Ms. Rennie is a senior digital leader with over 15 years of IT management experience across large and complex matrix organizations. She has a proven track record of transforming critical teaching and learning processes into high quality online and mobile services. Previously, Ms. Rennie was director of technology, learning, teaching and research at RMIT University.
New Zealand executive search firm Hobson Leavy recruited Mark Corboy as the new chief information officer for Altus. Mr. Corboy has extensive experience leading significant technology initiatives within a manufacturing environment both locally and globally. He joined Altus from Fisher & Paykel Appliances where he is currently acting general manager digital.
Rosenzweig & Company placed former Just Energy executive Ash Rajendra as CIO of the Supreme Cannabis Company, where he will focus on ensuring the organization is well prepared to execute on its next phase of growth. Partner Larry Chan led the assignment. Mr. Rajendra is an experienced information technology and business leader who has a deep understanding of vertically integrated products, including operating within a regulated environment.
Scottsdale, AZ-based TillmanPartners recruited Bill Waszak as CIO for NASDAQ-traded American Woodmark in Winchester, VA. “American Woodmark is a well-established industry leader with a strong company culture and a commitment to invest in technology and drive continued innovation in the business,” said Rob Tillman, CEO, who handled the search.
Chicago-headquartered PearlCare Search Group placed Melvin Masula as CIO of Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. Geoff Zodda, chief solutions officer, IT search, led the assignment for PearlCare. Mr. Masula has 28 years of professional service in the IT industry. Previously, he was director of IT at WellLife Network.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media