Government appoints first director general for digital and media
The government has appointed former British ambassador Matthew Gould to the newly created role of director general for digital and media as it looks to make good on the promise of transforming Britain into a world-leading digital economy.
Matthew Gould, the UK's first director general for media and digital
Gould’s experience comes from his time spent as the British ambassador to Israel, where he set up the UK Israel tech hub. He also led the Cabinet Office’s cyber security unit as its director of cyber security and information assurance.
In this current role, he will oversee the department’s digital and media policy brief, which includes making sure the UK has connectivity it needs as well as equipping British people with digital skills.
“Our economy is powered by innovation and we want Britain to be the safest place to do business and go online. But if we want the UK to prosper we need to make sure we have world-class connectivity, and If we want an inclusive society, we need to tackle digital exclusion and make sure everyone has the digital skills they need,” said Gould.
“I’m determined to tackle these challenges to help make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a digital company.”
Since the decision to leave the European Union earlier this year, the UK's tech industry has sought support from the government amid concerns that it would be negatively impacted in areas such as digital skills, regulation and access to the EU’s Digital Single Market.