City of Philadelphia IT consolidation: a status report as new CIO Adel Ebeid settles in
Somewhere in this fuzzy camera phone picture is Adel Ebeid on stage, alongside Tommy Jones and Rich Negrin, addresses 250 city IT staff for the first time. Photo regretfully from this reporter.
Rich Negrin has dreamt of this day.
At least that’s what the city’s Managing Director told 250 city IT staff last month before introducing Adel Ebeid as the city’s first ever Chief Innovation Officer and their new boss.
The Softer Side of Adel Ebeid: During his introduction to city IT staff, one employee asked a series of more personal questions:
Favorite baseball team: Yankees, he answered with great trepidation. “I aspire to be a Phillies fan,” he said.
Favorite Music Artist: Bruce Springsteen and The Doors
Favorite Movie: ‘The Godfather Part II’ and ‘As Good as It Gets.’
Favorite Food: Thai food, “I am an aspiring chef who cooks a new meal each month,” he said.
Little Known Fact: Played college soccer
“The weight of leadership is often taken for granted, and so we have put in all the hours to find the right guy,” Negrin said. “And this is the right guy.”
Ebeid, walking to the microphone on stage in a vast conference hall at the Convention Center, referred to himself as “vertically challenged,” perhaps 5’9″ to Negrin’s hulking height advantage of more than six inches, winning passing laughter from his diverse crew of employees. Throughout the hour-long session, Ebeid seemed to be well-received by what appeared to be more than half of all city IT personnel. He shared the stage with Negrin and his immediate predecessor, former interim CTO Tommy Jones, who has expressed interest in staying on board.
When the time came for staff questions, the deepest conversation came from on an unsurprising topic: the city’s controversial IT consolidation. It’s been more than two years since Mayor Nutter first signed the executive order combining all city technology services under then CTO Allan Frank. With a new IT chief in, where does consolidation stand?
