UK Hydrographic Office Appoints Chief Technology Officer

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced the appointment of Terry Makewell to the position of Chief Technology Officer.
 
Makewell has over 20 years’ experience in leadership positions in government, academia and the creative industries, and will be instrumental in further developing the UKHO as a world-leading centre in the marine domain. This will support the UKHO in delivering its vision of becoming the world-leading marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office by 2020.
 
Makewell joins the UKHO from the Office for National Statistics, where he held the role of Chief Digital Officer. His previous government experience includes the role of Head of Digital & Global Media at the Met Office. Terry is also a member of the British Council Digital Advisory Group. 
 
In the private sector, Makewell has held roles in the publishing, academic and cultural sectors. He has a degree in Computer Science from Southampton University and gained an MBA (Entrepreneurship) in 2006. 
 
Commenting on his appointment, Makewell said: “I’m thrilled to join such a forward-thinking organization and to be leading the incredible teams working at the center of the marine geospatial revolution. It has been great to see how agile delivery methods are central to us delivering value early and often.”
 
One of Maekwell’s first engagements at the UKHO was to support its data science experts who presented at the Government Digital Service’s ‘Sprint 18’ conference on 10 May. Here they demonstrated how the UKHO is using machine learning to exploit satellite imagery in order to help protect the marine environment and promote global maritime trade.