The Information Technologists' Company

Forward thinking Livery Company installs third female Master

London, 10 October 2008: In a ceremony held this week, Josephine Connell, former managing director of Xansa was announced as Master of the Information Technologists Company (ITC), the 100th Livery Company of the City of London. Connell replaces previous Master David Morriss for her year long tenure.

As only the third female Master of ITC, Connell will use her tenure to focus strongly on the charitable side of the Livery Company, a sector she already has a great deal of experience in. Connell is currently chairman of Help the Aged, and her local hospice, the Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted. She was also recently appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire as a result of her extensive work in the county’s charity sector.

As Master, Connell will work closely with ITC’s wardens to ensure that existing policies such as the creation of an Academy with a specialism in IT and working to obtain a Royal Charter for ITC remain a priority for the Livery Company. Other key focuses will include securing funding for the iT4Communities charity which links IT volunteers with charities in need of support. Raising awareness of the recently launched Charity Angels scheme, which encourages members to donate small sums of money regularly in order to support the organisation’s charitable activities, will also be key.

Connell will also focus on encouraging new members to join as well as improving engagement and communication with existing members, which will include the launch of a new website.

Connell adds, “I am delighted to become Master of a Livery Company that is more than just a lunching and dining society and actually makes a difference to people’s lives through programmes such as Lifelites and its work with Lilian Baylis school in Lambeth. ITC has one of the most vibrant and active memberships of any Livery Company and I look forward to working closely with these members to continue to promote the IT sector and to support the City of London and the Lord Mayor. I am greatly looking forward to the whole experience of being Master.”

Connell has worked in the IT industry for more than 40 years at companies including Mars, Aspro-Nicholas, CMG, and most recently as Managing Director of Xansa formerly FI Group, which is a leader in terms of encouraging flexible working, especially for women.