CIO of the Year

Name Daniel Lai Job title Head of IT and chief information officer for MTR Corporation Geographical responsibilities Hong Kong, Beijing and Shenzhen, China IT industry experience 39 years Work experience Prior to joining MTR in 1999, Lai held various senior IT managerial positions with The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Lai has led many innovative and large-scale IT projects. He has developed and implemented IT governance, project management, system development life cycle, and outsourcing frameworks. Deserves the award because... Lai has one of the most demanding CIO jobs, but he has handled his responsibilities well and has played a key role in transforming the IT department at MTR. Judges were particularly impressed with how Lai successfully pulled off the massive ETMS project which also won MTR the Project of the Year award.

"The effective use of IT to manage the scale and complexity of the operations at MTR is impressive. Lai has done a great job ensuring that IT continues to support the business as MTR grows and expands beyond Hong Kong," said Smart50 judge Quah Siew Heng, who is also the managing director of Atos Origin Asean.

Echoing Quah's views was independent analyst Graeme Philipson, another Smart50 judge. "Daniel Lai has done a first-rate job at applying IT to a complex transport system," Philpson noted.

Under Lai's leadership, the IT department has been transformed into a competent and motivated professional team. His team of 96 staff provides information systems and information technology services to meet the organization's business needs.

Last year, Lai was responsible for 47 projects, of which 24 were completed in 2005, and more than 80 applications. His department's charter is to help the organization raise productivity, increase operational efficiency, support knowledge management, enhance planning, faciltate decision-making, ensure statutory compliance, and establish disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.

Beyong Hong Kong, Lai has started IT planning, implementation and support works for MTR's subsidiary and joint venture--a metrol line in Shenzhen and another line in Beijing.

Lai has spent almost 40 years--39 to be exact--in the IT industry. This industry veteran is a Distinguished Fellow of the Hong Kong Computer Society (HKCS) and served as its president from 1998 to 2004.

The seasoned IT professional's industry contribution hasn't gone unnoticed either. "Besides contributing to MTR, Lai spent much of its personal time on promoting ICT in Hong Kong when he was president of HKCS. And even after he stepped down, Lai continues to be actively involved in helping to bridge the ICT industry between Hong Kong and mainland China. His chairmanship in the Asia Pacific ICT Awards 2004 is an example of a significant contribution to the Asian ICT industry," said Fritz Chiu, who was also part of the independent 10-member judging panel.

Lai said of his award: "As an IT professional, a member of the MTR management team, and a CIO, I am most honored to be awarded CIO of the Year amongst many distinguished CIOs in the region.

"My philosophy in work has always been: one, life-long learning and continuous professional development; two, to always aim for perfection, or the top score; and three, to be anticipative and to be prepared for challenges," he added.