SKILLED CIO leaves after strategy rethink

The chief information officer of national workforce services company SKILLED Group has left his role as the company looks for an executive with "more of a customer-focused skill set".

The company, which provides both flexible labour to organisations which need it as well as associated workforce services, confirmed this morning that Leigh Berrell had left SKILLED following the appointment of a new chief executive who had changed the company's core strategy.

Five years ago, the company began the implementation of a wide-scale enterprise resource planning platform called Agresso, with the help of LogicaCMG. SKILLED Group decided that now the system had been laid down, a chief information officer was needed who could tweak it, optimising it for users across the organisation.

"As part of the new strategy all roles have been reassessed to see if the skill set's right," the company said.

Leigh Berrell had been at SKILLED Group for more than three years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

SKILLED Group this week advertised Berrell's position noting it came with oversight of a budget of about $50 million.

"Leading from the front, the key is driving communication between the business and IT, so you must possess highly developed communication skills in order to interact with internal customers and senior leadership team, negotiate contracts, evaluate vendors and lead IT initiatives," the organisation wrote.

SKILLED Group has published a laundry list of its requirements for the role, ranging from broad communication and interpersonal skills to specific experience in IT operations and services management, governance and project management.